


Soulmates

by TheMightyPookums



Category: South Park
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Best Friends, College, Death, Drama, Drama & Romance, Fighting, Friendship, Gen, Love, M/M, Romance, Roommates, Superheroes, life - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-04-25 16:48:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 164,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14382855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMightyPookums/pseuds/TheMightyPookums
Summary: "Fate, destiny, it's all sh**. But since I met you, I can't help but feel a pull. It's constantly bringing me back to you. We're connected."





	1. I Am...

**Author's Note:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I never thought I'd leave South Park. I thought I'd stay there forever. I'd be swallowed up by the small little mountain town, fade into the dark, and be forgotten forever while everyone else moved on and became someone. Man, was I sorely damn mistaken. Life definitely has a couple tricks up its sleeves, especially for me.
> 
> Have I caught your attention? Good, because here's my story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> Enjoy!

Denver is nothing like South Park. It hasn't felt the same since we left. I mean, yeah, South Park had its issues, but it wasn't anything compared to how fucked up Denver is. Homeless guys and mobs were nothing. There were gangs and drugs but they were child's play compared to the crowds running around the dark back alleys of LoDo and 16th. I could have stayed in South Park, stayed with my family, my sister and mother, but I was pulled and pushed away from every direction. They wanted me to get away from the small mountain town. They wanted me to get away from the weirdness, the constant non-stop of crap that kept attacking the town. They wanted me to live a normal life.

Boy, were they sorely mistaken.

Shortly after graduation, Kyle, Stan, and myself packed all of our crap, along with some hand-me-down furniture from people around town, into a large moving truck and started the two-hour drive to Denver to move into the three-bedroom loft apartment near the university.

"Come on, Kenny!" Kyle shouted as he carried his box of priceless knick knacks he had on his lap the entire trip inside the building.

I slipped out of the driver's seat and sighed. The building looked like a refurbished factory with five floors. The only thing I knew was that we were on the third floor. I hadn't seen the unit. I wasn't even planning on moving in until a few weeks earlier when Kyle was looking at the ad online. The three of us were gathered in his room. I was reading one of his comic books at the end of his bed as they browsed through advertisements for apartments in Denver.

"Ah!" Kyle groaned as he leaned back slightly and tilted his head to rest it on Stan's shoulder. "We either find apartments that are cheap but are in terrible shape, or we find apartments that are nice but way out of our price range."

"We'll both have part time jobs," Stan mentioned trying to calm our agitated friend while keeping his eyes locked to the computer screen.

"It still won't be enough," Kyle replied and leaned back forward. "We'll have to be borrowing money from the school all the time. I don't want to be in debt for the rest of my life!" he whined loudly.

"We'll find a way, Kyle. Just stay calm," Stan said, his voice flat like he was more just saying it to calm Kyle's nerves rather than actually believing it.

I shifted to flip the page of the comic book in my hand but stopped. I was half reading so it was easy to focus in on the feeling of intense eyes staring at me. I didn't turn my head but shifted my eyes to look over. Kyle was staring at me from over the top of his laptop, a huge grin splayed on his face. I turned my head and the grin grew wider.

"What?" I snapped, and that was it. I was pulled into the idea of moving in with them. I wasn't going to school, but I could work full time and cover most of the cost of the apartment. It wasn't as expensive when three people were living together and I wanted to help my friends. Plus, I had to admit, it was a pretty sweet apartment. It was a cross of old and new. Old structures and brick walls complimented the new appliances and small accents thrown in subtly around the space. Kyle and Stan insisted I take the large bedroom, even though I really didn't need it. I was used to a small living space and having no bed. Suddenly I had a large room and a large bed that Stan's dad inherited from a co-worker. I dropped one of my boxes onto the floor and looked around at the space. It was surreal. I had never expected to get where I was, but I was there. I was both excited and terrified at the same time. Maybe going with them wasn't such a bad idea after all.

A few weeks after that I got a job at a garage. Kyle got a part time job at a book store, and Stan was hired at a veterinary clinic to watch the reception desk and help with tending to the patients if they ever needed it. He was practically giddy when he got that job. The hesitation of living away from home with Kyle and Stan slowly disappeared. I really didn't mind it, but there was something...missing. I was restless. I wanted something else.

We did our best to keep busy through the summer. We toured all around Denver, found the best Chinese restaurant within walking distance of the apartment, and discovered hidden spots only the locals really knew about. Our collective favourite was the underground coffee shop that hosted local bands and artists and even had a comedy night every Thursday. I was trying my best to pack the empty hole in me with whatever I could, but something still didn't feel right. The feeling was intense sometimes. I woke up in a cold sweat a few nights because of it. The panicking feeling haunting me until I finally tired myself back to sleep.

Then I discovered something. Something I never knew before. Something special about me that would literally change the course of my life without me even knowing.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

I stood at the corner waiting for the light to change. A heavy crowd of people surrounded me. Rush hour. I had my phone out in front of me, something I never had before. I was addicted to it. There wasn't anything that caught my attention, I just loved having it. Loved being able to afford something that was mine. I was surprised that I noticed the young, restless boy beside me suddenly pull away from his mother's grasp. He had been bouncing around as we all waiting for the light to change so we could cross. His mother was getting aggravated as she tried to calm him and hold onto a stroller that was wedged within the crowd of people. As he pulled away, I could hear the torn tone in the woman's voice of having to choose between two impossible decisions.

"Gabriel! Stop!" she screamed over the noise of rushing cars and loud chatter.

The boy was gone though. His excitement leaded him to step off the curb and the car horn blared loudly. My body moved a hell of a lot faster than my brain. I was suddenly grabbing the boy's arm to throw him back into the wall of people. I couldn't stop my momentum though. It was too late. My body fell forward and the impact sent a shock through my body. It was a strange sensation. I was warm and cold at the same time. Everything froze and yet sped up. I could hear voices in the void of my darkened mind but they sounded miles away.

"Oh my god! Someone call 911!" a man yelled.

"Is he breathing?" the familiar voice of a woman asked in a small sob.

"I don't feel a heartbeat," the man explained.

"He—He saved my son. Oh god! Someone help him!" the woman sobbed loudly.

"There's nothing we can do. He's gone."

Holy shit, I thought. Did I just fucking die?

I sat up with a loud gasp and panted heavily. Sweat formed on my forehead making my shaggy bangs cling to my skin. My vision was blurry as I tried to focus on my surroundings. A wall of old, red brick with a large metal sign saved from the South Park dump hanging in the middle of it. I instantly fell in love with it when I saw it. It was rusted and old but the silhouette of the wolf baring its teeth was untouched by time. I died. I was breathing heavily and had my fingers pushed into my damp hair. I was fucking dead! How did I end up here? There was a small knock on my door that snapped me from my panicked thoughts.

"Kenny?" Kyle asked as he swung open the door. "You gonna sleep all day or what?" I blinked and it was obvious Kyle realized my dishevelled state from the sudden shift of his expression. "You alright?"

Maybe it was just a dream? A really, really vivid dream? "What—What day is it?" I asked trying to keep my voice level.

"It's the twelfth," Kyle answered with his eyebrows furrowed together as he tilted his head slightly. It was the eleventh as I stood on the corner looking at my phone. I remembered the date in the top corner of the screen. "Man, you must have done some serious partying or something last night," Kyle said with a small grin across his face. "You were gone when we came home and we didn't even hear you come home. Crazy night?"

My face scrunched into confusion. Something was weird. Kyle was so calm and nonchalant. There was no way it was real. There was no way. "I—I don't remember," I managed to say in a low voice as I stared at my red headed friend.

Kyle chuckled and shook his head. "Kenny, man, you've got to slow down or you're gonna get yourself killed," he said and turned to leave the room as he chuckled lightly.

I tried my best to push the memory aside but it rattled in my head, coming up whenever I was left alone to think. I couldn't get a clear head wrapped around it all. It felt like a dream, but it was the realest feeling dream I had ever had. When I stood at the corner staring at the spot on the curb that was stained with a few blood droplets, everything spiraled around me, but it was still too distant. It wasn't possible. It wasn't. Was it?

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

Three weeks later, Kyle, Stan, and I stepped out of the movie theatre after just seeing the third Purge movie. We were obsessed with the series and how utterly horrifying it was. We had gone to a late-night viewing after sitting around the apartment to the point that we were getting on each other's nerves with our usual shit. Kyle being a know-it-all, Stan picking on him about his height, and me just being annoying in general. My phone screen read 12:07am as we stepped out of the building to the sidewalk. The neon lights and streetlamps lit up the strip of restaurants, apartment buildings, and a popular downtown nightclub: The Vault. The sidewalks were full of people, as they were every Saturday night. I think the Vault was having a theme night because everyone was walking around wearing neon spandex like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"They've got to make another one!" Kyle said loudly and snapped me from my thoughts. He and Stan were walking in front of me in our usual pattern. I didn't mind hanging back and listening to their conversation. Kyle quickly rushed forward a few steps so he could walk backwards along the sidewalk. He dug into his bag of skittles to pull out one and tossed it. I had to maneuver quickly but he caught it and Kyle threw his hands up in the air in victory as he yelled, "And he scores!"

"Rigged," Stan said with a devilish grin.

Kyle shot him a glare. "Asshole," he snapped.

"Bitch," Stan retaliated and they stuck their tongues out at each other.

I rolled my eyes. Nothing would ever come in between those two weirdos. I mean, they were both my best friends and I was theirs, but they had a special connection between each other that was almost a bit disturbing. It had been there since daycare. I had always been there in the same friend group, but it wasn't until middle school that the three of us became an iconic trio. They were Super Best Friends and I was the addition. The weird title was something they thought up in elementary school and no one ever let them live it down. It was true though. No matter what, they had each other's backs. When Stan broke up with Wendy and went into such a deep, dark void of alcohol and self-pity, Kyle never left his side. When Kyle finally came out in high school about being gay, Stan was the first one to hug him and tell him nothing was different. I admired their closeness and was thankful they let me be a part of it.

"Up top!" Kyle yelled. He had stopped with his hand up to wait for me to approach and slap mine against his. It was a solid connection that made Kyle whoop loudly as he turned back around. "Hey! Let's cut through the back alley."

"That's a terrible idea," Stan said with a flat tone that made Kyle turn his head to frown. The red head stopped abruptly and I almost ran into him. If there was one thing Kyle was, it was stubborn, and Stan just activated it.

"It's a short cut," Kyle said bluntly, his arms locked together over his chest.

He was a full foot shorter than Stan and I was in the middle of both for height, but Kyle always managed to make himself look three times bigger than he was. I shoved my hands into the pockets of my sweater and watched what was no doubt going to be an amusing altercation. Stan sighed loudly as he slowly shook his head. I knew exactly how this was going to go. They were going to bicker back and forth like an old married couple, Kyle would then shout something about Stan being stupid, Stan would retort with something about Kyle being stubborn, they'd both go silent, Stan would break and give in to Kyle's demands, and Kyle would walk away victoriously. It was the same every single time, but it didn't make it any less amusing to watch.

"It's dangerous, Kyle," Stan explained in a flat tone. He was always the voice of reason between the three of us. Kyle was the adventurous one always trying to get us to do different things. I was the instigator and impulsive one with the bad ideas. Stan was the voice of reason who would come between us when our ideas were getting too out of hand. A perfect team. "We should stay to the main street. It'll take longer but it's safer."

Kyle groaned loudly as he rolled his emerald eyes. "Come on! Nothing's going to happen. You're just being paranoid," he explained and let his voice mutter quietly at the last part. They had done this so many times, they knew exactly where to dig in to make the other respond in a certain way.

"I'm not being paranoid, I'm being cautious," Stan replied and I could hear the rise in his voice.

"You're being a mom," Kyle replied quickly.

Snap, there it was. Stan's shoulders went rigid. "I'm not being a mom," he growled between clenched teeth.

Kyle shrugged his shoulders slightly. "You're kind of being a mom," he said and then turned his head to face me. "Isn't he, Kenny?"

I quickly shook my head as I pulled my hands from my pockets to wave them in front of me. "No! Don't pull me into this!" I said loudly. "I am not responsible for anything here."

Kyle rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Stan. The taller boy crossed his arms over his chest to match Kyle's stance. "It doesn't matter, you're still acting as if you've got a huge stick up your ass. Which is strange considering I'm the gay one here," Kyle explained.

I tried to stifle the loud snorting laugh that forced its way from my chest but I couldn't catch it in time. Stan's lips wanted to turn up into a small smile but he fought the urge. I was impressed, I didn't think he'd be able to keep himself together at that one but he did. "I'm just being the smart one here. Rather be safe than sorry," Stan explained flatly. He was struggling to hold back his amusement.

"You're being an idiot," Kyle explained with a scowl.

"And you're being fucking stubborn!" Stan shouted, his amusement disappearing faster than it had formed.

Heads turned all around from passing strangers. I sheepishly apologized to them before turning back to watch the silent showdown between my two friends. They weren't speaking but their fight was continuing in their eyes. Intense emerald green fought against bold steel grey. The moment dragged on far too long before Stan finally threw up his hands with a loud groan. And that was game and point.

"Fine!" Stan shouted irritatingly. "Fine, we'll take the stupid shortcut."

Kyle threw his arms up above his head. A few skittles jumped from the small bag he held to clatter against the sidewalk. "Another win for Kyle Broflovski!" he shouted. The heads were turning again but we ignored them to step into the dark alley.

My skin crawled the further we travelled. I didn't like how dark and quiet it was. The full moon above gave off enough light for us to see in front of us but only to a short distance. Kyle was leading the march with a soft humming tune that was stuck in his head. Something clanged from behind. I quickly spun around to look over my shoulder but didn't stop. I couldn't see anything. I was getting irritated basically walking blind.

"We should probably go to the campus to get our schedules and take a walk around before school starts," Kyle explained plainly. I turned back forward to continue following behind Stan. "I know we took that tour a while back, but it was so disorienting. All I remember was the cafeteria."

Stan snorted. "Of course that's all you remember," he teased and I saw his cheek lift slightly from a small smile that no doubt formed on his face.

"Shut up, Stan. At least I was sort of paying attention while you were checking out all the girls," Kyle explained and turned his head to grin over his shoulder at Stan.

Stan's broad shoulders shrugged. "What can I say? I am a sexual being with an eye for good art," he explained. Kyle and I both simultaneously groaned as Stan laughed deep in his chest.

The feel good moment was cut short though when a dark figure suddenly moved from the shadows and stepped in front of Kyle. "Holy shit!" Kyle yelled in a startled tone. "Jesus, dude, you scared the—," he started to snap but stopped when we all saw the flash of light against steel as the figure showed the sharp blade of their knife.

Stan immediately grabbed Kyle's arm to pull him back as he put himself between his friend and the armed figure. Footsteps thumped behind me. I quickly spun around and another figure stepped from the shadows to surround us. They both wore hoods pulled too far over their heads for us to make out their faces in the dark but I could tell by their build that they were male and scrawny. Their hands were jittery and they couldn't seem to stand still. I had seen that body language before. Too many times before. They were druggies looking to get their next fix however they could.

"Give us yer wallets," the figure in front of Stan growled.

Stan and Kyle moved behind me but I was frozen still. I could hear my heartbeats in my ears. My pulse was racing. I stared at the figure in front of me as ideas passed through my mind. Ideas of how to disarm him, get him to the ground, and wrap my hands around his neck to push. To squeeze. To—

"Kenny," Kyle's voice broke through my dark thoughts as a hand grabbed my arm from behind me. "Kenny, it's okay. Just do as they say."

I let the thoughts slip away as I pulled my wallet from my pocket to toss it at the figure. They caught it with a shaky hand. My hand twitched at my side. I wanted to move. My body begged to move. I was too constricted.

"And the ring," the hooded figure added to his demand.

"What?" Stan asked in a panicked tone.

I didn't have to turn around to know what was happening. Stan's ring. His only remaining connection to his grandfather. The man left the ring specifically to Stan who tucked it away until his finger was big enough for it to fit and then he never went a day without wearing it.

"Come on, man, you've got our wallets. There's at least a couple hundred bucks between the three of us," Kyle explained with a solid tone. "Just take the money. You don't need the ring."

"We can pawn it and get a couple more hundred bucks. Hand over the ring," the figure demanded.

"No!" Kyle snapped angrily.

Kyle, stop. You can't reason with the drugs. "Kyle, please," Stan's voice came out flat and small. He was nervous but trying hard to hide it.

"No! Fuck you!" Kyle shouted and I couldn't see but I was pretty sure he was aiming that anger towards the figure. At least, I hoped so. They were both reacting to the shock of getting mugged. Stan went immediately to blind fear as Kyle went directly to blind rage. Me, I was strangely calm. My heart was still racing, but I was keeping myself level.

"Are ya sayin' a ring is worth more than yer lives?" the hooded figure asked. "Cause if ya don't hand it over, we're gonna take it by force."

"Kyle," Stan snapped. I'm sure he was stopping whatever response was about to come from the red head. "It's okay. Just calm down."

Tension lingered in the silence. Tension between us and the muggers. Tension between Kyle and Stan. Everyone was tense, especially the figure in front of me. He was restless. He couldn't stop moving. He was in some major withdrawal symptoms which made for poor judgement clouded by desperation. This was all desperation. The worst possible thing that could happen…did. Something crashed nearby. It may have been a stray cat or the wind knocking over something. Whatever the hell it was, fuck that thing.

The figure lunged forward, knife leading the charge towards me. I felt something rush through my body. Adrenaline, and a hell of a lot of it. I immediately took a step as I turned, my arm out to grab Kyle to move him with me. The mugger stumbled past us and I lifted a foot to slam it into the figure's side. He crashed hard against the brick wall. There was some scuffling followed by Stan letting out a pained grunt. I turned to see him hit the ground. The mugger had his knife raised and lunged forward, directly at Kyle. Everything moved in a flash. I wasn't sure I had even moved until I was standing in front of the mugger with the cold steel of the knife blade stuck in my chest. I blinked. I knew I had been stabbed. I knew the blade stuck through my chest and into my heart, but my body wouldn't register the pain. I'm pretty sure that's what people called shock.

"Kenny!" Kyle screamed. My legs gave out underneath me. His arms wrapped around me and we fell to the ground. Everything was spinning as Kyle carefully laid me down. "Kenny, oh fuck. Fuck!"

Stan was at my other side. I was finding it harder to breathe. The pain was starting to gradually crawl from where my body had tucked it away. "Kenny, you have to stay awake. Look at me," he said and he had a hold of my hand but I couldn't feel it. I couldn't feel his hand.

"I can't—," I tried to say and coughed. Blood splattered all over my face and chest. "Can't feel."

"Stay awake," Stan snapped as he pulled his phone from his pocket to frantically tap the screen with one hand. He wouldn't let go of my hand with the other.

"It's okay, Kenny," Kyle said and my eyes shifted over to see his green irises brighter from the tears that formed. "Just stay with us. Please, just stay with us."

Everything was fading away. The cold. Kyle and Stan's voices. The sky behind their heads. My breathing. The pain. Me. I was fading. I was…dying?

"Fuck!" I woke with a start and my weight flung over the side of my bed. I slammed against the floor with a hard thump and groaned. Sunlight streaked across the hardwood floor of my bedroom to touch my fingertips. I sat staring at the light across my skin for a moment before realization set in. "Holy fuck!" I yelled and sat up. I breathed heavily and pulled my shirt off over my head to look down at my chest. No wound. No scar. Just an odd shaped freckle. Had I always had that freckle? I gently touched my fingertips to the spot and my bedroom door swung open.

"Kenny, you alright?" Kyle asked as he and Stan stepped inside with wide eyes. My chest tightened. "You were screaming," he added. I scrambled to my feet. "Did you have a night—?"

My arms wrapped around them. Kyle was crushed against my chest to stop his talking. He flailed as I held on to him tightly and Stan chuckled with a small pat of his hand against my back. "Dude, you alright?" he asked with a confused tone.

I let go of them and stepped back. Kyle gasped loudly for air. "I'm fine! That's the point! I'm not dead!" I said loudly, a wide grin formed on my face.

Kyle and Stan both looked equally confused and worried. They shared a sideways look before turning their attention back to me. My heart raced in my chest. "Man, that must have been one hell of a nightmare," Kyle said teasingly.

My grin slowly faded. "What do you mean? Guys, don't you remember?" I asked, my voice strained against me.

"Remember what?" Stan pressed curiously.

Panic passed over me. I knew these guys. I knew their mannerisms, their tones, and their expressions. I knew when they were angry or just faking. I knew when they were worried or stressed. I knew when they were sad just by the way Kyle's lips would pinch into a thin line or Stan's shoulders would tense. I knew when they were pretending, and they were not pretending in that moment. They were both genuine in their confusion. They couldn't remember.

"Last night," I answered slowly, waiting for their response.

Kyle's eyebrow quirked up. "Last night?" he asked and tilted his head slightly. "We went to dinner, saw the Purge, walked home, and then went to bed."

Stan scoffed. "Which, I still think cutting through the alley was a stupid idea. It was dangerous," he mentioned.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Nothing happened! We made it home, unscathed. Stop worrying about it so much," he explained and I know I was staring wide eyed in shock. They didn't fucking remember. I mean, it was a bit of a haze to me, but I know it happened. I could still feel the knife in my chest. I could feel my life slipping from my body. It happened, but they couldn't remember and somehow, I was alive. It didn't make any sense. How could I have died but woke up alive the next morning? How could they not remember? "Kenny?" I snapped out of my thoughts. Kyle and Stan were staring at me again with worried eyes. "Are you going to be okay?"

It was such a loaded question. How would anyone be okay? I thought about telling them, but it sounded absolutely batshit crazy. They'd either laugh and tell me to stop joking or throw me in a mental institution. I opted to stay quiet. I needed more information. I needed more proof. It happened two more times before I finally convinced myself. One of the times was intentional. The second time was not. But both times went the same way. I died both times, one of them I was even in the hospital when I finally coded. Both times I woke up the next morning in my bed remembering everything, but no one else could. I even went back to the hospital to talk to a doctor and a few nurses I remembered. None of them could recall ever seeing me. I sat on the end of my bed after returning from the hospital to run it through my head.

#1 – I was fucking immortal.

#2 – People couldn't remember me dying if they witnessed it.

#3 – I had to keep it a secret from everyone, including Kyle and Stan.

And #4 – Holy. Fucking. Shit.

It took me about a week to properly adjust to the realization of my new abilities. Trust me, I wanted to fucking panic. I wanted to freak out and throw shit and spiral into a mess of anxiety and stress, but there was no point. I had no clue why or how it was happening to me. I had nothing to go off. I had an ability. Whether it was a gift or a curse, I had no clue, but there was no point in dwelling on it, so I decided to move on. The hollow feeling in my chest though? That didn't go away.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

"I'm almost done," Kyle said with a small pile of books in his hands. He was standing at the top of a ladder that rested against the wall on wheels so it could be pushed all along the shelves with ease. He was shoving the books into their spots alphabetically by last name. A tedious job that was perfect for Kyle's brain. "I just want to finish putting away this cart and then we can go."

I threw my head back with a groan. "But I'm hungry," I groaned like a small child. I reached out to grab the ladder to give it a small shake and Kyle hurriedly grabbed on to it.

"Fu—Kenny, don't do that!" he snapped angrily. I grinned and he quickly reached out with a foot to kick my arm. I yelped and stepped back out of reach. "Go keep yourself occupied. I'll find you when I'm done."

"But there's no nudey magazines here," I whined as I rubbed my sore arm.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Then find something else to read. There are other things out in the world to read, you know," he explained and turned his attention back to stocking the shelf.

I shoved my hands into the pockets of my sweater and spun around on my heels. The book store smelled like coffee from the small barista stall across the other side of the room. I wandered past the aisles to stand at it. The sign above the barista's head made my nose turn up. So friggen pretentious. How can there be three different ways to say large? What happened to medium?

"What can I get you?" the barista asked with such a happy attitude, it couldn't have been real. She was just good at forcing it. No one was that damn happy, ever.

"Uh," I dragged as I tapped my foot against the floor, still looking up at the sign. It was like reading a second language that I was somewhat familiar with. The words looked familiar, but what the fuck did they mean? "I guess I'll get a mocha latte?" Simple. Easy. Not too hard to fuck up. Was it going to be good? Fuck if I knew.

"What size?" the girl asked and I finally looked at her. She was cute at least. Her smile was way too damn big, but she had nice skin and bright eyes. I stepped forward and leaned against the booth. She didn't move away.

"Give me the biggest you've got," I said, the corner of my mouth turning up into a grin.

My flirting always earned one of two responses: either a slap or a number. I didn't get too many numbers. Not that I couldn't. I knew I was an attractive guy but there was always something holding me back. I could never quite get myself to that last step. Kyle joked the one time, "You'd think once you broadened your sexuality that you'd end up with a lot more opportunities, but you do worst than me in that department. And I'm playing on the extra hard difficulty!"

I had laughed. The way his mind worked was astonishing. How could anyone connect sexual orientation with video games so quickly? It was like his brain was always open to a million different websites to feed him information constantly. He never shut off.

"Think you can handle that much?" the barista asked and snapped me from my thoughts focused in on her small nose and plump lips.

I chuckled lightly as she picked up a large Styrofoam cup from the stack next to her. "Can you?" I asked in retaliation.

A small blush formed on her face and she picked up the small marker from the table. "What's the name?" she asked, ignoring my flirty question. She didn't hate it, she just wanted to play hard to get. Too bad I hated playing games.

"Kenny," I answered and felt my mood shift slightly.

"I like that name," the girl drawled back to me.

"If you like that, you should hear my phone number," I shot back as I held up money for her. Bam! Score for Kenny!

The barista smiled as she took the paper bill from me. I could tell she was thoroughly amused. She started to work to create my drink and I took the moment to plot my next destination. From the looks of how many books were in Kyle's cart, he was going to be a while, which meant I did seriously need to find something to do. I could stay and flirt with the cute barista but I was already bored of that. I could harass Kyle but I knew he'd kick my ass the moment we were far enough away from the store. That left reading.

"Kenny?" the barista called out.

I reached back without really giving the girl a look, thanked her quietly for the drink, and then left. Before I turned away I could see the look of disappointment on her face. Not surprising since I brushed her off without warning. Oh well. I started to wander along the aisles looking for anything that would peak my interest. Non-fiction. No. Horror. Not unless it's a movie. Romance. Maybe, if I'm desperate enough. Sci-fi. Ugh. Detective drama. Fucking really?

"Hah!" I exclaimed loudly after taking a sip of the warm mocha drink in my hand. It was good, but it wasn't what caught my attention. I turned into the aisle that caught my eye and immediately headed to the comic book section. Pictures and kick ass storylines. Perfect! I picked up a familiar comic to open it and started to read lazily. I loved looking at the drawings, taking in every bold line and mixture of colours. It was mesmerizing. Would I ever admit that I was secretly an art buff? Fuck no. I was allowed my guilty pleasure and I knew if I ever told Kyle and Stan then they'd torture me relentlessly about it.

"What about this one?" a boy no older than thirteen said a few feet to my side. I hadn't noticed him and his friend when I stepped into the aisle so they startled me while I focused on the comic draped over my hand.

I continued to read and sip my drink as he and his friend picked through the selection of Marvel comics. I liked DC more. The movies sucked, but I liked the universe more. "Ah! Not that one! It's so stupid!" the second boy groaned.

My spine shivered. I remembered being that young. Kyle, Stan, and I sounded the same as the boy and his whiny tone. Sometimes I still did but it was purely on purpose. I always managed to get a rile out of Stan when I did. "You can't turn down all of them," the first boy said flatly. He kind of reminded me of Stan.

"Comic books are so stupid! They're so predictable," the second boy said and I heard a mixture of Kyle and I in his voice. "Normal, everyday guy inherits abilities or discovers they have dormant abilities. Normal guy goes through life altering moment that makes him realize that his powers can be used for something more than his mundane life," the boy was explaining and I was suddenly disinterested from my comic book. Not that I was really paying attention to it. "Normal guy decides to use his powers for good to help the people around him. Normal guy becomes superhero. Normal guy beats up bad guys, goes through shit, gets a super villain, defeats super villain, gets the girl, happily ever after. The end."

The comic book clattered against the floor after it slipped from my hand. I quietly cursed and quickly reached down to pick it up. When I looked over the two boys were staring at me with curious expressions. I cleared my throat loudly and spun around to face my back to them. The pages crinkled as I flipped them open to land on a picture of the hero standing tall on the top of a building. That was it! Looking up from the book I muttered, "Holy shit," and that was the official beginning of it all.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

Step one was to make a costume. Considering I hadn't picked up a sewing needle a day in my life, I'd say I did pretty well for what we'll call the prototype. It was a hack job with no insulation or padding whatsoever, but it did the trick. The mask and large hood covered my identity along with altering my voice a bit. I stood in front of the mirror for an hour trying to get it right. Everything I bought cheap from a second-hand store. What I didn't realize while standing in the dimly lit store was that everything I grabbed was a dark set of purple, not black. I sighed as I stared down at the fabric in my hands. I considered taking it all back for a moment but there was something mesmerizing about the colour. The cape I made from the large piece of fabric was too big. Almost comically, but I didn't cut it back. First because I was too scared to take the scissors to it again. Second because I liked it. I added some gloves and boots and, voila, I had my first costume.

"Not bad, McCormick," I said to myself as I stepped back to admire my handy work that laid across my bed. I felt a shock of excitement pass over me. I hadn't felt so much excitement since I left South Park. "It's missing something," I muttered and scratched my head. "I'm missing something."

A soft knock on my bedroom door startled me. "Kenny?" Kyle's voice came through muffled. I quickly launched myself to grab all the fabric and tossed it into my closet. I quickly shut the door as Kyle opened the door to my room. I leaned against the wall and grinned. My heart was racing in my chest and there was no way Kyle wasn't going to be insanely suspicious of what the hell I was doing. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked suspiciously. I should be a goddamn fortune teller.

I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head. "Nothing really, just chilling," I answered. He didn't seem convinced but he wasn't going to press. He knew when to pick his battles.

"Alright, whatever, look, my special snacks keep going missing. I know I'm not eating them so that leaves two suspects: you and Stan," Kyle explained, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked so much like his mom when he did that. The same red hair and furrowed eyebrows. Cute.

I shook my head frantically. "It wasn't me." It was me.

Kyle's eyebrow raised. "When I asked Stan, he gave me the same answer, what do you suppose I do about that?" he asked. His voice was low in attempt to be intimidating. Despite his size, he was very good at intimidation.

"Well, one of us is obviously lying. I guess you'll have to start a full-blown investigation. Bloodhounds. Crime scene investigators. The whole nine yards," I answered and kept grinning, even though Kyle was making me uncomfortable with his intense green-eyed gaze. "Or maybe your snacks just ran away. Joined the circus. Started their new life as entertainment foods living with candy apples and cotton candy."

He let out a soft sigh and slowly shook his head. "It's amazing. I've never seen anything just disappear before. Right into thin air. And food, no less," he explained, sarcasm dripping off his words.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I wonder if the mystery on the missing snacks will ever be solved," I explained and then, click. Something in my head snapped together like puzzle pieces. I turned my head slightly to look at my closet door. The grin that was on my face stretched until my cheeks were shoving their way up into my eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kyle asked curiously.

"Kyle," I said and slowly turned my head back to face his confused expression. "I ate your snacks."

Kyle's eyes widened and he lifted a hand to point a thin finger at me. "I knew it! You bastard!" he yelled.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

So, there it is. The details of how Mysterion came to be. It took some work and a lot of trial and error, but he was real. He only ever came out at night to take down drug dealers, muggers, and gangs. It didn't take long for word to get out about the masked hero who was single handily taking out crime, keeping the streets safer for people. Being known was awesome in certain aspects. I was famous. One day when I stepped into the kitchen I saw Kyle watching the news. A blurry picture flashed on the screen of a figure unmistakably dressed in purple. It was not the most inconspicuous colour, but it had grown on me. I was fucking famous! Well, Mysterion was famous. The problem with becoming popular though is that you also become wanted by some pretty screwed up people.

It was sometime in September, just after Kyle and Stan had started their first year in college when I was jumped by a gang. Not a small one and not an inexperienced one. They knew what they were doing and they were well coordinated to do it. They kicked me and beat me with bats and steel pipes. I could hear the small pops and cracks under each blow but my body was blocking out any other feeling. Then I felt the sharp pain in my stomach. A knife. It wasn't fatal, but fuck did it hurt. I managed to get away from the group by throwing myself off the edge of the rooftop to fall into a dumpster below.

Add grappling hook to list, I thought to myself as I stared up at the sky.

I wasn't sure how I made it back home, but I stumbled into the bathroom with the trail of blood behind me and sat with my back against the wall as I breathed heavily. Everything hurt. I knew I was gonna look like shit for a while. My face was swelling and I no doubt had a few cracked, if not broken, ribs.

"Holy shit!" I quickly lifted my head to see Kyle standing in the doorway of the bathroom. A part of me was terrified and angry that I had let him see me, but the other large portion of me needed his help. His eyes were wide as they stared at me. He was in his pyjamas, hair disheveled from his pillow.

"Kyle," I managed to croak out in my normal voice and Kyle's eyes went from wide with panic to wide with worry.

"Kenny?" he said and quickly rushed forward to kneel beside me. The first thing he did was remove my mask and hood. "Holy shit, Kenny, you're Mysterion?" he asked.

I chuckled but it was cut short when a sharp pain jolted through my body. "Didn't see it coming, did you?" I struggled to say with a teasing tone through my pain.

"Stan!" Kyle turned to shout out of the room. "Stan! Get in here!"

"It's okay. I'm alright," I said as I reached out to grab Kyle's shoulder, staining his shirt with my blood that coated my palm. "It hurts like hell, but I'm alright."

"Idiot, you still need to be patched up and I'm not doing it," Kyle explained as heavy footsteps rushed down the hall towards the bathroom.

Stan appeared in the doorway half awake, half naked, and barely standing. He was breathing heavily and looked directly at me with the same wide eyes Kyle had. "Holy shit! Kenny!" he said loudly and rushed into the room.

"Can you guys stop saying that? It's not as bad as it looks," I explained and tried to shift into a different position but my wounds wouldn't let me. Everything fucking hurt.

"It looks really damn bad, Kenny," Kyle snapped in frustration.

"How are you not dead right now?" Stan asked as he examined the stab wound in my stomach.

I laughed at how completely screwed up that question was. That's a good fucking question, I thought to myself but didn't say. Letting them see that I was Mysterion was one thing. Telling them about my special ability was another thing. I still wasn't ready to tell them and I think they still weren't ready to know. So, I explained without lying but I kept certain details out of my explanation. My two friends were quiet as Stan stitched and bandaged me up. Kyle sat on the edge of the bathtub watching the entire time. They both had the same look on their face. A look of curiosity mixed with worry and maybe a bit of anger on Kyle.

"Here," Stan said as he handed me two pills and a glass of water. "It's not ideal, but it'll help with the pain a bit. Hopefully enough so you can at least sleep."

I downed the pills quickly and sighed. I think my body had finally given up on feeling the pain because everything was numb, but I knew the moment I'd try to move it would all come screaming back to me. Stan sat in front of me with his back pressed to the vanity as he stretched his legs out beside mine. Kyle was still perched on the side of the bathtub. They were both silent which was a bad thing. When they went silent, they were working on something in their head. I fucking hated it. It was driving me mad. I took another drink of the water and set the glass down beside me with what little arm strength I had left.

"Okay, let's hear it," I snapped and they both tensed simultaneously. "I know one of you must have a, 'it's too dangerous, you have to stop', speech in you," I said bitterly. I didn't mean to sound so sour but the judging looks were getting to me. They needed to say something. "Just let it rip. It'll make you and me feel better.

My sudden outburst strengthened the tension in the suddenly cramped room. It lingered until I couldn't take it anymore. I was about to painfully push myself out of the room but Stan beat me to the punch. "Do you want to stop?" he asked in a hurried voice as if the words had been hanging on the tip of his tongue and he finally pushed them off with one hard shove. I kind of wished it wasn't him spoke first. He sounded so goddamn sincere. At least with Kyle we'd probably fight. I needed a good fight.

I looked up at my raven-haired friend. It looked like the worry was gone from him and he was more curious to hear what I had to say. His head was cocked slightly to the side and his deep grey eyes full of attention were on me. I sighed and tilted my head back against the wall. I must have been hit there because it sent a dull pain through my spine. I couldn't even remember where exactly I had been hit during the attack. There were so many weapons and limbs, it was all a blur.

"I know it's not much, but I feel like I'm making a difference. I'm protecting people. And even though I am sitting here in excruciating pain, I don't want to stop. I don't want to give up," I explained and then waited for the drop of anger and frustration on me, especially from the red head beside me who had been staying uncharacteristically quiet. He was building something up, I just knew it. He'd let it build and build until he exploded in a fury of anger and shouting.

"Well," Kyle shouted finally as he slapped his hands against his knees. I flinched in reflex but realized his tone was nothing like I had been expecting to come from him, "I guess there's no need for a speech then."

I quickly turned my head to look over at him with furrowed eyebrows. He was smiling gently with the left corner of his mouth. "You're not gonna tell me to give it up?" I asked with a small tilt of my head.

He shrugged his thin shoulders. "Would you listen if I did?" he retaliated. I opened my mouth to respond but thought better of it. "That's what I thought. I mean, we've known you our entire lives and during that time, when have you ever listened to us when we told you to do or not do something?"

I hummed as I rocked my head back and forth a bit. "Maybe like two or three times," I joked and smiled, even though it the pain in my jaw forced me on the verge of crying.

"Exactly," Kyle said and leaned forward slightly. "You're an unstoppable force, Kenny, and I'm not going to stand in your way. But that doesn't mean you should be doing this alone."

Panic rushed through me. "You're not going out there with me," I snapped as I quickly spun my head around. Instant pain shot through me as the room spun wildly. I groaned loudly and slowly rested my head back against the wall.

Kyle shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant. I just mean—Saving people isn't easy. You're gonna get beaten down a lot, and not just physically. It's all going to hit you hard emotionally and mentally too. When that starts happening, that's when you need to come to us. Don't carry around the burden by yourself, okay?" My heart eased. I nodded slowly. "And go to Stan whenever you need to be bandaged up because I'm not touching any of that."

"You do realize I work at a vet's clinic, right? I know absolutely nothing about human anatomy," Stan explained to Kyle with furrowed eyebrows. "I can barely tell a mouth from an asshole."

"That's just because they mean the same thing on you," Kyle shot and I snorted loudly in laughter. Stan lifted his hand to flip off the red head who shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Besides, I'm sure they can't be too much different from each other. I'm sure Kenny's in great hands," he replied with a wide grin that made Stan roll his eyes.

It was like asking your parents for permission for something you really wanted to do but you're too afraid to ask. There was so much anxiety built up inside you that when they finally said yes, you weren't too sure if you heard it right or if you passed out and dreamt it. You had to swallow back the lump in your throat and ask them to repeat themselves. That's exactly what it felt like when Kyle and Stan hugged me on the bathroom floor. They never tried to talk me out of what I was doing. Instead, they encouraged it all.

Kyle helped me alter my costume and Stan tended to my wounds to the best of his abilities. He made me promise to at least stay away from knives. I didn't promise. He stocked up on first aid supplies and stored them away where they weren't too obvious to anyone who might stop by. Kyle managed to convince me to hold off going back out on the streets for at least a week until I was at least sort of healed. I was stiff when I went back out, but the adrenaline quickly caught up to me and all I could feel was euphoria. The high of leaping from rooftop to rooftop and when my fist connected with an attempted rapist's face, all the pain washed away.

I had found my place above the crowds in the dark where I went unseen until I wanted to be. The one side of me was Kenny McCormick, a mechanic who lived with his two best friends in Denver with no crystal-clear vision of his future. The other side of me was Mysterion, the vigilante who couldn't die and was dedicated to protecting the people of Denver from criminals. It was the perfect balance and yet I still felt like I was missing something. That fucking void just wouldn't go away.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

"Come on! Don't be like that!" someone shouted from below.

Laughter. The small group turned into the bar to let the door swing shut behind them. I crouched at the edge of the rooftop and watched the figures moving below under the light of the lampposts and neon signs. The bitter January air was finding its way through my costume but I wasn't nearly as cold as I could have been. Kyle had drawled on and on about the special micro fibers and stitching pattern of some lining he found. He would never admit it, but he was enjoying helping me fine tune my superhero persona. I could see it in the way his eyes sparkled and his small half smile. I was completely lost in his chatter until he turned to look at me, rolled his eyes, and said, "This shit will keep your stupid ass warm." That's all I needed to know.

I lifted my hand to remove my glove and look down at the small, cheap watch Stan had bought me. Five more minutes and then I'd move to a different spot. I never wanted to stay in one spot too long in case something was happening somewhere else. Plus, it helped to keep me from getting too bored or caught. I was no longer just being hunted by criminals but the cops as well. They were getting antsy about my vigilantism and how popular it was getting. People were rallying behind me but the law was the law. Not like that was going to stop me. I wasn't about to stop protecting people, even if that meant embarrassing the local police by always doing their job for them. My methods may have been a bit different, but the goal was all the same.

A small group of girls stepped out of the bar to stumble onto the sidewalk. I would have been nervous about their awkward stumbling and loud, drunken voices if there weren't so many of them. Too many of them for criminals to bother pursuing. I continued to watch over the bustling street as the five minutes ticked by. When the time was up, I stood, straightened out my back, and moved to continue to the next spot. My heavy boots crunched against the gravel that covered the rooftop. I was almost to the edge when my legs stopped. A strong pressure weighed against my back, like something was pressing up against me, but there was nothing there. The skin on my spine tingled making the hairs there stand on end. I couldn't explain it, but there was something pulling me. Guiding me to turn around. To go the other direction. I slowly turned but there was nothing. The rooftops were clear and I was surrounded by the quiet darkness. The pressure was still there on my back though. I wasn't sure how to explain it, but I could feel that something was wrong.

The loud explosion in the distance nearly made me fall over. A three-story building a block away quickly went up in flames that roared up towards the dark sky. My body was moving before my brain could process everything. I was leaping from rooftop to rooftop and jumped to scale down the fire escape of a law firm building when my row of buildings ended. My landing was a little shaky but I paid it no mind. I'd feel it later when the rush of adrenaline washed from my veins. I stuck to the dark shadows of the alleys, my heavy cape rustled behind me as I pushed my legs to move as quickly as possible. My body ached as I jumped up to grab the bottom of the fire escape to another building. I pushed through the burn to climb up onto the roof and rushed to the edge. I was breathing heavily. My throat was dry and sore from running but the adrenaline in me made it hard to feel anything. I was beginning to get addicted to the feeling of my heart racing and my muscles tighten with anticipation under my skin. I was addicted to being Mysterion.

The building across the street was engulfed in the heavy flames as curious bystanders stood watching from the sidewalks below. It was a big building, but there didn't seem to be any issues. No one seemed injured. There was no immediate danger, as far as I could tell. It must have been an accident and thank fucking god no one was around to suffer because of it.

I let out a heavy sigh and leaned forward with my hands on my knees. "Fuck," I groaned as the burn in my legs spread throughout my body. "I need to get in better shape," I said, keeping the low growl in my voice more out of habit while wearing the mask than anything. "Starting tomorrow I'm gonna start running."

I lifted my arms above my head with a low groan to straighten my back. The tingling returned to my spine having disappeared during my run towards the inferno in front of me. I lowered my arms, slipped my hand under my hood to rub the back of my neck, and turned. Ice slid through my veins. The pressure was like a dense smog that lingered around me and made me sick to my stomach. A dark figure stood across the rooftop, their dark pine green cape rustling softly behind them in the cold breeze. They wore a metal helmet that reflected the light from the heavy flames behind me and a half mask covered the left side of their face from the top of their cheek to their hairline. Bright blonde hair slicked back stuck up through the top of the helmet. The rest of the costume was comprised of black and dark brown leather. The tingling in my back spread to the rest of my body. My knees felt weak underneath me. I could feel power radiating off the masked figure in front of me. The pull I was feeling was towards him.

"I've heard a lot about you, Mysterion," the figure said and I felt my breath hitch in my throat at the voice. Does it sound…familiar? "It's unfortunate I had to go through such extreme measures to meet you, but you don't make it easy."

It took a moment of processing to understand what he meant. I suddenly became very aware of the intense heat on my back. My hands curled into fists at my sides. "You did this?" I growled. It wasn't at all forced. It came so natural to me it was almost startling.

A sharp, menacing grin formed on his face. My body shivered as a sharp chill passed through me. Something about that smile made my body react intensely. "It got your attention, didn't it?" he asked in a snarky, cocky voice.

My hands shook as I took a step forward. He noticed my step and his shoulders tensed. Whatever—Whoever he was, he was cautious with me. I didn't doubt he had heard about me. The name Mysterion had been passed around quite a bit in the last few months. It even managed to reach the local newspaper. There was an entire article written about Mysterion and how vigilantes should be considered a good thing, not a crime. If someone wants to dress up in a purple costume, jump around rooftops, and beat up the scum that make our streets unsafe, I say do it, I remember reading. If no one is dying, why bother locking up the people who are doing something useful for once?

"You've lit an entire building on fire," I growled and felt the rise of anger in my throat. "You could have hurt someone!" I shouted louder than expected.

He shrugged his shoulders. That made my blood boil. What the fuck is wrong with this guy? "Trust me, it's only going to get worst before it gets better," he explained and the damn grin made my legs shake.

"Why? Why would you want to intentionally hurt people? To create destruction?" I asked, my voice lowered slightly even though my body wanted to react by screaming and flinging myself at him to tackle him and throttle him until he was a beaten mess. "Tell me!"

His slowly shook his head. "I don't want destruction, I want chaos. And I'm doing this because every hero needs a villain, Mysterion," he answered flat and true. "But don't worry, I'll make it fun."

He lifted his hand in front of him with his thumb and middle finger pressed together. My eyebrows furrowed together as I waited. He pointed towards me with his index finger and I suddenly felt intense power wrap around me. It pressed against me and made my chest tighten. I think his eyes started to glow. It was difficult to tell from the distance in the dark, but I could have sworn they lit up in bright violet. Then, he snapped his fingers, and in a flash a bolt of electricity shot from his finger to fly dangerously close by me. I heard the impact somewhere behind me that resulted in a small explosion but I was frozen.

What…the fuck?

My limbs shook. The tightening in my chest was still there. I was struggling to breathe.

He has an ability.

My eyes were wide and unblinking as I stared at him. My mouth was gaped open but I was finding it impossible to push out the words I wanted to say.

He's just like me.

"Who—?" I finally managed to crack through my nerves. His eyebrow lifted to disappear under his metal helmet. "Who are you?"

His grin formed into a full smile. I had to press my hands against my thighs to get them to stop shaking. I could still fell the power wrapping around me, pressing against me, keeping me grounded where I was. "You may call me Professor Chaos. Make sure not to forget," he said in a teasing tone. I opened my mouth to speak but it was cut short when he lifted his hand slightly again and shifted it a bit to point directly at me. He had intentionally missed the first time, but he wouldn't the second.

He snapped his fingers and I quickly stumbled out of the way. The bolt of electricity crackled through the air to impact with the edge of the roof where it exploded in a cloud of small flames and debris. The force of the small explosion knocked me off balance as I stepped back. I didn't fall but I couldn't get my footing before the next attack. The electricity struck next to me. I felt the intense heat on my face as the force from the explosion knocked me clear back. I was launched off the roof to slam against the wall of the next building before I crashed into the top of a closed dumpster. The impact instantly knocked the air from my lungs and forced the loud shout from my throat as my ears rang. I would have thought it was impossible for no one to hear the commotion I made if it weren't for the fact that no one came to investigate. I thanked whatever that they didn't so that I could lay on top of the newly dented dumpster staring up at the sky as I struggled to get my breath back. Everything hurt. Inside and out, I was in complete and utter pain, but I couldn't think about it.

I'm not the only one, I thought as my eyes adjusted to see the stars above.

It hadn't crossed my mind that there may be others. I was so worried about adjusting and focusing on my Mysterion persona took up most of my mind as a distraction to the panic I wanted to feel thinking about that fact that I wasn't normal. But I found someone. I found someone who wasn't normal, like me, and that person was a fucking psychotic nut bag. Just my goddamn luck. Only me. But I couldn't help the relief that washed over me as I stared at the glittering stars through the light pollution of Denver.

"I'm not the only one," I repeated and slowly closed my eyes.

I just needed to rest for a second. And then I felt it, a small flicker in my chest. The void inside me suddenly didn't seem so big.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit themightypookums.tumblr.com for original artwork by yours truly!


	2. Rivalry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's some weirdo running around Denver in a costume other than me! Who the hell is this guy? And he's not even a good guy! HE TRIED TO BLOW ME UP! He's freaking insane, that's what he is. Ugh, of course I attract the crazy ones.
> 
> Anyways, no point in dwelling on it too much, he may be able to shoot lightning out of his damn fingers but I'm invincible. He doesn't scare me. Plus, I have other things to worry about. Like...uh...well, I'll think of something...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> Enjoy!

"You may call me Professor Chaos."

My leg shook rapidly.

"Next up, we'll talk about why it's important to keep an eye on food recalls and why to take them seriously," the blonde hair, blue eyed anchor said. Her smile reminded me a lot of the barista's, wide and fake. It was the only thing I could focus on from the television.

"Make sure not to forget."

The male anchor turned to face his partner to say, "You think it would be fairly easy but it's actually quite difficult to keep track of your food unless you know exactly where to look."

The camera quickly switched to show the woman again who was slowly nodding in agreement. "Yes, but it's important to know how recalls are decided and what proper steps to take to keep you and your family safe," she explained and turned her face her attention to the camera.

The sectional couch started to squeak under my movement as the rapid shaking grew more and more intense without me realizing. It was an old piece of brown and grey furniture bought cheap from Mr. Mackey that sank in the corner. Despite the fact that Kyle and Stan hated it, I found that spot the most comfortable and it was exactly where I sat as I watched the morning news. My cuts and burn marks were bandaged up leaving me looking like a crash victim along my right cheek and over my arms and hands. Even though the television was on in front of me, I wasn't paying attention to it. The words were rattling around in my mind, occupying the space with frustration and curiosity.

"Every hero needs a villain, Mysterion."

"Hey." The small porcelain bowl tapped against my shoulder and instantly stopped my shaking. I whipped my head around to look up at Stan who frowned at me. "You're grinding your teeth. Stop it." I rolled my eyes as I took the bowl of cereal to place it in my lap. I hadn't noticed I was performing my bad habit until he mentioned it. Stan dropped himself next to me on the couch. He ran his fingers through his dark hair as he yawned. "This Professor Chaos guy must really have you on edge. I haven't seen you grind your teeth since Karen said she was dating someone four years older than her."

I ran my spoon around the inside of my bowl and sighed. "I wanted to deck him so badly," I said with a quieted voice.

"Well, if memory serves me right, you did," Stan replied with a soft grin.

I had spilled pretty much everything to Stan on the floor of the kitchen as he patched me up. I wasn't sure how I got home or why I ended up in the kitchen, but I was there and I wasn't getting up for a while once I was down. I explained everything from the explosion to the masked figure, but I left out the bright flashes of lightning that still seemed impossible to understand even though I felt the effects of them on my skin. I talked and talked until my body couldn't handle being awake anymore and fell asleep. When I woke, I was on the longest stretch of the couch as Stan was curled along the other section with his long leg stretched out over the arm. It wasn't difficult for Stan to carry me down the hall to my room so he must have been worried about me enough that he wanted to keep an eye on me.

"The way you were talking about Professor Chaos last night though, it's almost like you might be a bit obsessed with him," Stan explained as his soft grin faded a bit.

"He blew up a building, Stan. Downtown Denver, and he blew up a building!" my voice gradually rose as I spoke. Stan's grin gradually grew wider again as my voice got louder. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, shut up," I grumbled and shoved a spoonful of chocolate cereal into my mouth.

"—careful when choosing your groceries and stay updated with any news outlet have access to as frequently as possible," the woman explained through the camera to her audience. I looked down at my bowl to push my cereal down into the milk. "Police and fire department officials are still looking into the mysterious explosion at a downtown office building."

My head snapped back up as the television shifted from the news anchor to footage of the three-story building I had witnessed go up in flames. The flames had been put out. Yellow tape surrounded the charred building as police officers and fire fighters passed through the shot. "Stan!" I shouted as I smacked his arm. I startled him. He dropped his spoon in his bowl and milk splashed back up at him.

"Fuck, Kenny," he whined and wiped the liquid from his face. "Jesus dude, calm the fuck down."

"That's—ugh—That's the building!" I shouted as I pointed at the screen and struggled against choking on the cereal that was still in my mouth.

"Kenny, seriously, you're going to die," Stan said with a worried tone.

I lifted my hand to wave him off. "It's fine. Already done it, but are you seeing that? He blew up a whole building just to get my attention! How fucked up is that?!" I shouted and leaned forward slightly.

"There is no confirmed cause for the explosion—," the woman's voice said over the footage of the charred building.

"Why is Kenny yelling?" Kyle stepped off the bottom step of the staircase to ask as he rubbed his tired eyes. He was a mess. Stan and I looked like we had just woken up but he looked like he had just crawled out of his own grave.

"Kenny has an enemy," Stan answered plainly.

"—but we have heard reports that the unofficial hypothesis is that a gas line ruptured under the building," the news anchor added.

Kyle threw himself down onto the short length of the couch. He rested his head on my knee and his legs draped over the arm. "An enemy?" he asked.

"It was no gas rupture!" I shouted angrily and Stan moved as if to take my bowl from me when I was dangerously close to spilling the contents of it all over the floor but I stopped before it happened, making him relax slightly. "It was a setup. He blew it up!"

Kyle turned his head to look past me to Stan. "What the hell is he talking about?" he asked with a small sigh.

Stan set his bowl of cereal down on the small table beside him to sit forward. His elbows rested on his knees so he could press his hands together. "It seems last night while Kenny was out patrolling the streets he encountered a villain who has taken a special interest to him," he explained dramatically with a lifted eyebrow which made Kyle's expression brighten.

"Really? Like an actual villain?" he asked with excitement in his tone.

Stan nodded. "Yep. Cape, mask, hidden identity. The works. He even admitted he was doing it because of Kenny," he explained over the sound of the television.

"Dude!" Kyle shouted and reached up to smack my cheek. It jostled me out of my daze. I looked down at him with furrowed eyebrows. His grin stretched across his pale face. "You've got a villain rival. That's awesome!"

"Are—Are we intentionally missing the fact that he blew up a building and almost blew me up in the process? Are we missing that?" I asked, my voice raising in octaves and decibels simultaneously.

Kyle lifted himself to sit up and mimicked me in crossing his legs on the couch. "Oh, you'll be fine," he explained as he reached over to take my bowl of cereal from my lap. "You're the hero. The hero doesn't die. Not until the end at least," he explained, grin splayed on his face as he shoved his mouth full of cereal.

"I'm glad you guys can find amusement out of my near death experience," I growled and quickly snatched my bowl back from Kyle's thin fingers. Even though I knew I couldn't die, they didn't know that, so the lack of worry was a bit irritating. "But this guy is dangerous. He may have blown up an empty office building last night but there's no telling what he might do next."

There was a rock in my stomach. It had been there since I fell off the rooftop when I encountered Professor Chaos. With every worrying thought that passed through my mind I could feel it getting heavier and heavier. He was dangerous. I was immortal, but he had the power to kill with the snap of his fingers. Kyle and Stan shared in a quick glance with each other before they both turned back to face their attention to me again. They finally heard the seriousness in my tone.

"Sorry, we should have been taking this more seriously," Stan said and Kyle nodded along in agreement. "It's just—It's sort of hard to wrap our heads around this sometimes. It's all still sort of surreal to us."

They shared the same expression that made me guilty. Five months before, everything was fucking normal. I was normal. Our lives were normal. The worst we had to worry about was agreeing on what to have for dinner. There were no heroes or villains except for what was in Kyle's comic books. They may have been the ones on the outside looking in, but I think that's what made it worst. They weren't a part of it, and yet they were dragged under the surface by it all the moment Kyle found me on the bathroom floor. I dragged them into the mess.

I quickly shook my head. "You don't need to apologize. It's not like you guys did anything," I explained and looked up with a grin. "This is a lot to take in, so I understand. I'd do the same thing."

Stan's expression softened. "I've got to say," Kyle spoke up with an elbow on his knee as he placed the side of his face in his palm to angle his head so he was looking at me, "you are handling all of this pretty well. I was sure you were going to give up within the first month, but you're dedicated to it all. It's almost as if you're a completely different Kenny McCormick."

"With a purple cape," Stan added.

Kyle snapped his fingers to point at his best friend. "With a purple cape," he repeated and grinned wide.

I looked back and forth between my two friends. They were both smiling at me, hoping that whatever it was that was eating away at me was gone. I wouldn't lie, the feeling in my stomach was still there, but it was lighter. I looked back down at my bowl in my lap and smiled. "Thanks guys," I said in a low voice.

Kyle leaned over to nudge me with his shoulder and I flinched slightly when his sharp elbow jabbed against a sore spot in my flesh. "That's what we're here for, dude. You beat up the bad guys and we beat up the bad feelings you have," he explained.

"Are you gonna get mushy on me now?" I asked with a crooked smile as I lifted an arm to wrap it tightly around Kyle's neck. He fought against the hold but couldn't break free as I pulled him against me.

"No! That's Stan's job," he grunted and dug his knuckles into my side. I laughed at the feeling of pain mixed with being tickled. "Let go of me, Kenny!"

"Awe, come on buddy, don't be so mean," I teased and grunted when Kyle punched me hard in the stomach to force me to let go. He wiggled free and quickly dashed across the room to scramble up the stairs. "Rude!"

"Fuck off, Kenny!" Kyle yelled down to me before he darted into the bathroom to slam the door shut behind him.

I chuckled lightly and looked back down at my bowl of milk with a few spoonfuls of cereal left floating in it. Stan gently tapped his spoon against his bowl a few times before he reached over to take mine from me. I quickly lifted my head, my eyes wide. "Hey! What are you—?" I started to ask.

"Get changed, Kenny," Stan said as he moved around the couch towards the kitchen. "We're going for a run."

My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "Huh?" I exclaimed loudly and shifted so my chin rested on the back of the couch as my arms draped over to dangle.

"Last night you said you wanted to start running so you can get into shape," Stan explained.

I wished I could say I didn't remember but the moment he said it the memory flooded back. In my pain induced haze I mumbled to Stan before I let my head fall back against the cupboard and my eyes closed. It was almost worst than being drunk. Stan dropped the bowls in the sink with a loud clatter and turned to look at me through the opening in the wall that divided the living room from the kitchen.

"And don't think about trying to get out of it. You insisted last night and I am going to listen to that Kenny," he explained, his arms crossed over his chest.

I narrowed my eyes slightly and the small smile crept on his face. "You just want to see me suffer," I muttered.

The smile grew a bit wider. "Maybe," he dragged teasingly.

I groaned loudly as I sunk to hide my face in the couch cushion. I was going to regret it. Damn, past me. Reluctantly, I followed Stan's orders. I could have fought it, but one thing I knew about Stan was that he had a stubborn streak too when he wanted to. Whether that was something he caught on from Kyle over the years or if he was actually like that, I wasn't too sure. Instead of facing the onslaught of an annoying and frustrating argument, I decided to concede.

"Dude, it's the middle of January," I said with my face twisted in as I referred to Stan's jogging pants and hoodie with no sleeves. I wore thicker jogging pants with my heavy sweater over my t-shirt underneath. "You're gonna freeze."

Stan grinned. "Trust me, you won't feel anything once we start moving," he explained and grabbed the door to throw it open. "Just try to keep up, alright? If you can."

"Oh, challenge accepted, Stanley boy!" I shouted and chased him out of the unit.

We raced down the metal stairwell like we used to in high school when we'd be leaving. I couldn't help but remember those days as we hopped and lunged down the stairs in desperation to beat the other for not other reason than because we could. Stan had the longer stride, but I was quicker, more agile. The sounds of our footsteps thumping against the steps echoed off the walls, bouncing up and down to wrap around us as we laughed and egged each other on. I was falling behind Stan on the second level when I grabbed the railing and vaulted over to land in front of him.

"Hey!" He shouted from behind me. "No fair!"

"All is fair in love and war, Stanley boy," I said and continued to race down the steps with him hot on my heels. I blew through the door to the main level and quickly avoided the couple waiting patiently for the elevator by throwing my weight and slamming against the wall and dodging around them. "Sorry!" I shouted back partly laughing and continued to race. Stan pulled ahead of me with a joyful laugh.

The cold air immediately hit me through my clothing. My skin bubbled with goosebumps and my body wanted to spin back around to find shelter in the warm building, but my pride was the boss. I needed to beat Stan. I wasn't even sure where we were going or what the finish line was going to be, but I needed to beat him there. I needed to get there first, just like when we were teens. We raced along the sidewalk, avoiding pedestrians left and right. I could start to feel the burn in my legs and my throat but I had to ignore them. Stan was years of physical training ahead of me, but I had blind determination. My heart was racing along with us. Stan turned and I followed. For a while it felt more like he was leading me rather than we were racing. Our legs moved at an equal pace, though mine were a bit faster to match his long strides. He turned again and I knew where we were heading.

The trees looked eerie without their leaves as we ran down the path through the large park. The burn in my legs was growing to my thighs and I was breathing heavier. My body was begging to stop but I wanted to keep going. I was sort of enjoying the burn. I forced my legs to speed up and pulled past Stan as we passed by two women walking with their strollers.

"You're not gonna win this, Kenny!" Stan shouted and picked up speed to return to my side.

I laughed. My throat was too constricted to say anything but I didn't need to. Everything around us was distant from our race. I couldn't feel the cold. I couldn't think about Professor Chaos or being Mysterion or any of the other shit that invaded my life. All I could think about was beating Stan. Then, I'm not sure how, but we both knew when to finally stop. We slowed down at a small extension from the path where a few park benches sat in a horseshoe. Our breaths came out in heavy pants. I stood with my hands on my knees as Stan paced in a small circle, his hands on his hips.

"Ugh, everything hurts," I groaned painfully between my heavy breaths.

Stan chuckled. "That's what happens when you push yourself when you're out of shape," he explained and reached over to smack my back. I let out a loud exhale of air at the contact and groaned. "I'm surprised though. I didn't think you'd last as long as you did."

"For the record, you were the one who stopped first, so I did outlast you," I said as I lifted my head slightly to look up at him through the curtain of my dirty blonde hair.

Stan grinned. "Wishful thinking, dude. Wishful thinking," he replied and stepped away from me. "Ready to go again?"

"Again?" I asked breathlessly as I straightened my back and stretched my arms above my head. "That wasn't it?"

"Not even close. Now we have to do it for real," Stan explained and I whimpered. "That was just a warm up. Now we race for the coffee shop and whoever loses has to buy."

"The coffee shop?" I asked and coughed hoarsely. "Are you trying to kill me? Because that will literally kill me."

Stan's eyebrow lifted quizzically. I had to hand it to him that he may have been the most caring person I knew, but he had his devilish moments when he was in the right mood. "I'm sorry, can Kenny McCormick not handle a bit of running?" He pressed. "I guess I was wrong about him."

"A bit of running? That's what you consider a bit of running?" I asked in a low growling voice. "You are a sadist."

"Says the one who willingly jumps off rooftops and stands in the line of fire instead of ducking behind cover," he replied and started to move his feet. He was ready to go. I definitely was not.

"Stan," I said in a low, warning tone.

He lifted his foot to hold it behind him, stretching out his thigh. "Yes Kenny?" He asked, his wide grin on his face getting more and more dark in mischief with each passing second.

"Well, you see, I just want to—," I started to say but stopped when I quickly spun around and started to run, despite the burning pain in my legs.

"Hey!" Stan shouted and chased after me. "You cheater!"

"Keep up, Stanley!" I shouted back over my shoulder.

I could feel the adrenaline running through my veins caused by the thought of being pursued. It was a familiar feeling I got often while I was Mysterion. It was the feeling that made my spine tingle and the hair on my arms stand on end. It was the feeling I was addicted to, and it was the feeling that clouded my mind and made me forget everything around me. It was the closest feeling I think I'd ever get to flying and man did I ever want to soar.

"Kenny!" Stan suddenly yelled from behind me. I was lost in my own head and didn't notice the small family stepping out of the store onto the sidewalk. I quickly dodged out of the way but lost my momentum, allowing Stan to pass by me with ease. "Suck it, Kenny!"

"Dammit!" I snapped as I pushed my legs to run faster, but I couldn't catch up to him. We arrived at the coffee shop breathless and exhausted. Our heavy, panting breaths came out in small clouds made by the cold air.

Stan stepped up beside me to smack my back. "Not bad. You managed to keep up fairly well," he explained in praise even if his voice was a bit condescending.

"I feel—I feel like—," I struggled to say through my heaving pants. "I feel like I'm gonna die," I blurted out.

"Nothing a little caffeine can't fix," he explained and stepped forward to grab the door to the coffee shop. "Let's go, you're buying."

He looked completely fine, aside from the quick rise and fall of his chest as he was steadying his breathing. "You're the devil, Stan Marsh," I groaned and stood straighter until my back let out a deep pop just above my waist.

The coffee shop was busy but not packed. Stan and I grabbed our drinks and took a seat by the large windows in two mix match coloured armchairs with a small table between us. I rubbed at my sore calf as Stan leaned back in his chair to sip at his iced tea.

"How do you do this every morning?" I asked and leaned back to sit slumped in my seat as I set my coffee cup on the wide arm.

"You get used to it after a while," he answered and leaned forward slightly. "You will get used to it."

"I have to do this again?" I asked with a low groan.

Stan chuckled and lowered his head with a small nod. "Yeah, every morning if you want to be strong enough to protect people against a super villain," he explained.

Super villain. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I had dealt with plenty of bad guys with knives and bats who were generally just causing mischief through the streets of Denver, but this Professor Chaos was a whole new ball game. He blew up a damn building, with no explosives I might add. He was fucking dangerous, even more than anyone else knew, but strangely enough I didn't feel any fear. It was something else that made my back tingle. It was…excitement. Adrenaline.

"Hey," Stan spoke up as he reached out to smack my knee. "I'm not going to tell you to stop, but I want to make sure you know you can. You don't have to be the one to face him. The cops can easily deal with some arsonist with an obsession problem."

If only that were true. I smiled. It was a little forced and Stan could see it, but it must have been enough to keep him from really worrying because he smiled back. "Thanks Stan."

I couldn't stop. There was no way. I should have, but I was too addicted to it all. I should have stopped. I had no idea what I was in store for.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

I rolled out from underneath the old Camry and wiped the back of my hand against my forehead. My hands were covered in grease that I knew I wiped against my skin but didn't mind. I was still technically in a probation period at the garage, given smaller jobs of changing oil and doing diagnostics. My knowledge of cars all came from my time hanging out in the junk yard as a kid looking over the broken-down vehicles rotting away there and whenever Stan and I would be taught by Randy whenever we were bored enough to join him so they were still skeptical to let me take on anything big. I took a long drink of my water before I pressed it against the back of my neck. The cold surface felt relieving against my warm skin. Even in the middle of winter, the garage was a burning inferno from all the machines and equipment.

The garage was old and family run. Mr. Bagley was the fifth generation to own it. Besides me there were two other employees: David and Spence. They were both oddballs who were completely opposite from each other. David was tall and lanky with light hair and an upbeat attitude. Spence was short and stalky with dark hair and was always stoic and quiet. The fact that they were so opposite was what I think made them such great friends. They sort of reminded me of what Stan and Kyle may become when they were middle aged. They were working together on a shiny, expensive Audi brought in by some rich guy who never took his sunglasses off.

I passed by them as they argued about who was right about what was wrong with the vehicle. David spotted me first and reached out with a long arm to clamp his hand down on my shoulder. "Kenny!" He shouted and startled me. I was pulled back roughly to stand between the two men. "Settle our debate. Transmission or belt?" He asked.

I didn't need any explanation. I had heard the grinding from across the garage when they turned the key in the ignition. "I don't think I'm qualified enough to answer that kind of question," I said with a weak smile.

"Neither are we, that's what makes it so much fun sometimes," Daniel explained with a wide, toothy grin.

I chuckled and nodded. "Alright. If I had to take a guess, I'd say the belt," I answered.

Spence turned his head to grin. Daniel's expression instantly fell into annoyance. "Shut up, Spence," he growled.

"I want double if I'm right," Spence said.

Daniel let go of me and quickly spun around to glare at his friend and coworker. I quickly took a step back to get out of the altercation between them. "Like hell!" Daniel shouted as Spence threw his head back to chuckle deep in his chest. He didn't laugh often, but when he did, he made sure it was loud and true.

I left the two men to bicker as I continued to wander through the garage to cool down. It was huge, capable of holding a dozen vehicles at once that ranged from restoration to repairs. I had never seen that many cars there at once, but I could imagine it. The garage was always clean and tidy as per Mr. Bagley's orders. He was very particular about making sure the place was in great shape, except for one part. The back right corner of the garage was piled with junk. Parts of vehicles piled on top of each other and an old toolbox missing a wheel leaned against the wall. It reminded me of the junk yard I would search through for hours after school sometimes when I didn't feel like going home. I set my water bottle down to start picking through the items. I never got far before I'd be pulled away to do some job but I always found my way back to the spot when I needed a break.

I was picking through the parts, moving the old bumper and box of head lights when I noticed the dirtied white sheet draped over something large under the random junk. I reached out to grab the fabric to lift it over the end of the nose of the old vehicle underneath. The front corner was busted in but I could still make out its main features.

"Got your eyes on something, kid?" Mr. Bagley asked and clamped a strong hand down on my shoulder. I tensed from being startled. I hadn't even noticed he was out in the garage. He spent most of his time in his office doing the paperwork, so to see him out was rare. "Ah, you found the Orphan."

"The what?" I turned my head to ask the man, my eyebrows furrowed together.

"It's a nickname we gave her," Mr. Bagley started to explain. "She was involved in a crash about four months ago and whether it was because her owner couldn't afford to fix her or something happened to them, I'm not sure, but she was left here. I know I should do something with her, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of her."

"Get rid of her?" I asked and ran my hand over the curls and dents in the metal. "Why would you want to get rid of her?"

"She's taking up too much space. I can't keep her here," he said as he moved beside the car to place his hand on the top of the hood. I could tell he was watching me closely but I couldn't take my eyes off the car. I recognized it as a Chevy Camaro. Beyond that, I had no idea. It was old, I could tell you that. "Do you want her?"

My eyes widened in instinct. I slowly lifted my head to look up at the grinning man. "What?" I asked.

"Well, she's abandoned. I just have to go through the proper steps but I can claim her. If you cover the costs, you can have her. I'll even let you use the garage to fix her up, you just pay for the parts. It'll help you learn without becoming a possible liability, as long as working on it doesn't interfere with your other jobs, and I'll even help you out when you need it."

"You—You're serious?" I asked and could feel my mouth slowly turning up into a smile.

Mr. Bagley shrugged his shoulders. "It's either that or she gets trashed. It's your choice," he said, patted the hood, and turned to start to leave.

Following my gut feeling was becoming a very common thing. In my head, I knew it was a bad idea. I'd sink so much money into her to get her running, but I couldn't help it. I was being pulled towards her like a magnet.

"Mr. Bagley," I called out and the man stopped immediately. He turned and I could tell he had been waiting for me to call out to him from the mischievous grin on his face. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

He slowly nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "Then I'll get right on the paperwork," he said and turned back around to keep walking.

I couldn't stop the smile on my face. The second thing that was mine, that I owned. I couldn't believe it. The wave of happiness that washed over me made me feel dizzy. Or maybe it was the heat of the garage. I needed fresh air. I threw on my sweater and stepped outside to get hit with the cold air. It was going to snow. I sat on a pile of crates next to the door and stared up at the cloudy sky. My breaths travelled past my lips in small clouds that disappeared almost instantly.

"Ah!" I shouted. My phone started vibrating in my pocket and startled me. I was lost in my thoughts staring up at the sky. I pulled the phone out of my pocket and smiled. "Hey," I answered as I pressed it to my ear.

"Kenny!" the high-pitched voice sang through the phone.

"Karen McCormick, shouldn't you be in class right now?" I asked as I leaned back against the wall of the garage with my head pressed against it.

"The teacher let us go early," she explained and I made a disapproving noise in my the back of my throat. "What! She wanted to give us some time to work on our projects and—okay, I'm skipping."

"Karen—," I started to say with a sigh as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

I could hear some shuffling on the other end of the phone. She was walking, probably heading home. "You can't say anything with your track record, big brother," she said loudly.

"I'm not the best role model to be looking up to, little bird," I replied with a smile. Barely graduated from high school. Didn't apply to college. Works as a mechanic with the most basic duties. Gets his kicks out of beating the shit out of bad guys in the dark while wearing a purple costume. Role model of the year.

"It's computers class. All I'm missing is how to use a Word document. I highly doubt that's going to affect my future," Karen explained with a small, exasperated sigh. She didn't want nagging big brother Kenny, she wanted fun big brother Kenny. Must have been a bad day.

"Look, just make sure you don't fall behind okay? At least one of the McCormicks has to make it in this life," I joked. Karen laughed. "How's home?"

"It's…home," she answered in a small voice. I knew what that meant. It wasn't going well. Karen was the one thing that held me back from wanting to move to Denver. I didn't want to leave her in that shitty house with them, but she begged me to go. She knew I needed to get away, even if that meant leaving her behind, but I didn't. As soon as I got my phone I bought her one too so she could always reach me. I visited whenever I could and she would catch the bus on occasion to see me. We never went more than a few days without talking to each other, but it still made me uneasy that she was there and I was in Denver.

"Hey, so, I got a car," I decided to say to lighten the mood.

"What!" Karen screeched on the other end. "Are you serious? That's awesome!"

I chuckled. "It's in pretty bad shape right now and I can't drive it yet, but as soon as I get it running I'll come see you," I explained.

"That is so freaking awesome. I can't wait to see it, Kenny!" She said excitedly and I could feel it through the phone. It made me grin from ear to ear. "Oh! I almost forgot. Kevin got a job and he's been visiting a lot. I think he's got a girlfriend too. A good one. He's really got his shit together right now. I don't know how long it will last, but he's doing really well."

My big brother Kevin. He had been such a roller coaster for years, no one knew what to expect. "And what about you?" I asked. "Are you doing well?"

Karen hummed. "Yeah, I guess I am. Nothing's really going on here, but I hear a lot about Denver! You guys have a superhero running around there?" She asked and I felt my heart flutter in my chest. "Tweek told me about it when I saw him at the coffeehouse. Have you seen him? He sounds so cool!"

I wanted to tell her so bad. Karen had always been the one person in my entire life I told everything to. I told her things I wouldn't even tell Stan or Kyle. I never kept a secret from her…until that one. "No," I answered, "I haven't seen him. He sounds pretty sweet though."

"Ah, what I would give to meet an actual hero!" She said with a dreamy sigh.

"Hey! What about me? You always used to call me your hero," I said with feigned hurt in my voice.

Karen scoffed. "Come on, Kenny, you know what I mean. You're my big brother, you have to be my hero. Mysterion on the other hand, he's different," she explained and I closed my eyes. The smile was still spread wide across my face. "Plus, I bet he's hot."

My eyes snapped open and I choked loudly on nothing. "Karen, please, don't say anything like that ever again," I snapped when I regained my breath. Karen was laughing hysterically on the other end.

The door next to me opened with a loud creak. I turned my head to look up at David who leaned against the doorframe. "Hey McCormick, can you come back inside? We need your help with something," he explained.

I nodded. "Yeah, just give me a second, okay?" I replied and the man nodded in agreement before heading back inside. "Karen, I've got to go back to work. I'll talk to you later though, okay?"

"Yep!" She replied cheerfully. "Love you, big brother!"

"Love you too, little bird," I said and then moved the phone away from my ear to end the call.

I felt guilty about not telling Karen, but she couldn't know. I had to keep her safe. It was bad enough that Kyle and Stan knew, but I knew they could handle themselves. Still, I couldn't get over the sickening feeling that lingered in my stomach.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

The cold Denver air stung my throat as I raced through the dark alleyways. Running with Stan for the last week was actually doing me good. I could feel it in my legs, my back, and in my lungs, but I still had a long way to go before the burn would disappear. The bolt of electricity that suddenly shot from the darkness impacted with the wall of the building next to me. The force of the explosion sent the plastic garbage can flying towards me. I couldn't react quickly enough to dodge out of the way. The object slammed against me and knocked me off balance. I stumbled aside a few steps and almost tripped over a small pile of boxes.

"Fuck! Professor Chaos!" I shouted and continued to race down the alleyway. I couldn't see him but I could hear the heavy footsteps ahead in the dark. It was my third time encountering Professor Chaos. The second encounter was brief with a bit of banter between us on the rooftop of the post office before he disappeared into the darkness. I was about to chase after him but then I heard a scream in the distance and decided to check my priorities. The third time, he was standing by a fire he made in a dumpster in an alleyway which lead to our pursuit in the dark.

The footsteps led me around a corner and to a parking lot. It was dimly lit from the light on the sidewalk and a few that lined the buildings to the sides. Aside from a few vehicles scattered in spaces, the parking lot seemed empty. I stood at the edge of the alleyway and scanned the wide open space. I could have sworn he went that way, or he could have turned a different corner.

"Shit," I hissed and stepped out into the lot. The silence and darkness were becoming like an old friend to me, but there was something in the air in that moment that made my skin crawl. The phantom feeling of energy licked off my skin through my uniform. I couldn't see him, but I could feel him. I could always feel him. It's how I found him every time.

I stopped. The energy was against my back. I quickly spun around and the small flash of electricity struck my chest. I felt the energy course through my body as I flew back against the SUV parked behind me. The impact sent pain through my body. The heavy boots thumped against the pavement towards me. My vision blurred as my ears rang.

"Oh, that was a doozy," Professor Chaos' voice echoed. My vision returned and I looked up as he crouched in front of me. The angle he held his head casted shadows across his half-masked face. I could never get a good look at him. It frustrated the shit out of me. "You alright?" He asked but there wasn't an ounce of actual consideration in his tone. He was teasing me.

"Fuck you, like you actually care," I snapped. My blood was boiling in my veins. This guy, he was a fucking sadistic bastard.

He reached out to grab my chin and I instantly pulled away. "Of course I care, Mysterion," he explained as he slowly pulled his hand away from me. "Who else would I play this game with, other than you?"

"What fucking game? You think toying with people's lives is a game?" I growled angrily. "Screw you, you sadistic bastard."

Professor Chaos laughed. The chill that ran up my spine made me flinch. "And yet, you've come back to play it and will continue to play it," he explained and I could see the flash of teeth as he grinned. "All because you are just as much of a sadistic bastard as I am."

"I didn't blow up a building just for the fun of it," I snapped through clenched teeth.

He rocked his head back and forth as he hummed. "Well, that is true, but how else would I get you to come to me?" He asked in a low voice.

"Why are you so obsessed with me?" I snapped and the pain that had been pulsating in my back was fading away.

"I told you, Mysterion. Every hero needs a villain. Thugs and gang members are nothing for you. I've seen it. You were growing bored of them. You needed a challenge, and I was getting restless, watching you lose your patience with this city," he explained matter-of-factly.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. He wasn't wrong, but it didn't make me any less angry about the fact that he was acting as if this was all a game. He watched me and I didn't even notice. He didn't have a motive for his actions, other than he just wanted to be my villain.

I scoffed as I shook my head. "You're fucking crazy," I growled.

Professor Chaos chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, probably, but I'm sure most would argue that you are as well," he said as he reached out to poke me in the chest and another shock of electricity shot through my body. I cried out in pain as my body went rigid and paralyzed. "Relax, Mysterion," he continued to speak as he stood, "there's lots of time," he added and his cape rustled behind him as he moved away from me. "Until next time, hero."

He disappeared around the SUV and I could feel the energy get fainter and fainter the longer I couldn't move. When the energy was completely gone I regained the feeling in my muscles to slam my head back against the side of the SUV and reached my hands under my hood to push my fingers into my hair. "Dammit," I swore quietly under my breath.

Why me?

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

Months passed of numerous more encounters with Professor Chaos when I wasn't taking down drug dealers or muggers. Every encounter started and ended the same way. I'd track him down by following his energy signature and he would always manage to get away at the end. I was powerless against his ability, but the encounters we had, the more I learned about him. He was powerful at a distance, but he was weak when I got too close. I learned that when I luckily managed to catch up to him one day on the rooftops and he almost tripped over his own feet. I would have had him but my arrogance got the fucking better of me. Next, I learned he never aimed to kill. The high impact shots were always close enough to leave me battered and bruised, but never landed. The shots that did land were usually temporarily paralyzing at worst.

It was his way of toying with me, but I noticed something about myself after a while. I was building up a tolerance to his shots. With each passing paralyzing blow I noticed I would regain my muscle control quicker. It was like we were new partners in a very complicated dance and I was slowly learning his steps and turns, but that meant he was learning mine too.

"He is going to be so mad at you if he catches you staring at that," Stan explained from my side as he pointed up.

I couldn't help but stare at the television above the bar. The news was playing on mute but I knew exactly what they were talking about: Professor Chaos. Word had gotten out about him in March. A second masked lunatic jumping around the rooftops in the dark, but he wasn't good. The media connected him to the explosion of the office building, along with some other crimes of arson and destruction throughout Denver. All of it done to get my attention. A lot of the media liked to focus hard on his connection to Mysterion though. That put a huge damper in my reputation. People were questioning Mysterion and had made the past few months difficult. Even when I'd save people, they'd still be skeptical to accept it from me. It was a constant, endless loop of bullshit and I wanted it to stop. Kyle and Stan finally put on their worried faces when I was almost caught by the police because of a terrified victim. They told me it may have been time to quit, but I couldn't. If I stopped, who would put an end to Professor Chaos? Who would protect everyone? Even if they feared me, I needed to protect them.

"Come on, you've got to try for one night at least. It is his birthday after all," Stan continued with an arm draped over my shoulders and a grin on his face.

I shook my head as I sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just can't help but worry," I explained.

Stan tightened his arm around my neck and slid a beer in front of me. "That is why you're going to drink, a lot. You're going to drink so much that you're going to forget everything except how to keep drinking," he ordered. I chuckled and nodded as I reached out to take the drink. Stan roughly patted my back and turned to lean back against the bar. "Well, birthday boy?"

I turned on my stool to face the same direction as Stan. Kyle was stepping out of the bathroom, a large grin formed on his face. The bar was merely pre-drinking while Kyle made up his mind about what he wanted to do and by the look on his face, it was apparent he figured it out. He stopped in front of us with his hands on his hips. I took another sip of my beer.

"The Vault," Kyle said and I almost snorted up my drink.

Stan's eyebrow lifted to disappear under his dark hair. "You want to go to the Vault?" He asked slowly. Kyle nodded enthusiastically. "The Vault is a club. A very dark, loud, and very packed club. That's where you want to go?"

"Yep!" Kyle answered loudly. "And it's my birthday so you can't say no to me."

"I wasn't expecting that," I explained through a strangled voice from struggling to keep my beer from escaping out my nose or down into my lungs.

"Alright Kyle, but first—," Stan said and turned back to grab the two remaining beers from the bar. He handed one to Kyle and held out his between us all. "To Kyle getting old and grey and probably fat like Eric Cartman."

"Fuck you, Stan," Kyle growled playfully as he shook his head slightly.

Stan chuckled. "Happy birthday, dude," he said and we all clinked our drinks together.

The loud, pulsating music was muffled through the walls of the Vault but it was still loud and there was a heavy enough bass that it could be felt through the ground under our feet as we stood waiting in the line on the sidewalk. It never changed either. I'd stand on the rooftops of the buildings that surrounded the club and I could always feel the vibrations no matter where I stood then either. The club was surrounded by businesses that all closed long before the music would start and open long after the thick doors locked so there was never any worry about it.

It didn't take long before we were inside. When the bouncer opened the door, we were immediately hit with the heavy music, though it was still slightly muffled, and hot air. My skin tingled from the overstimulation of my senses. We were only in the initial space of the club. We hadn't made it to the main room yet. Kyle led the way through the thin crowd of people standing around. They were all covered in thin sheets of sweat, hair disheveled and makeup messy. Most of them could barely stand on their own without having to sit or lean against something. My stomach twisted. I wasn't really the club type, but it was for Kyle and clubs were the best place to get strong drinks made. I was already feeling buzzed from our pre-drinking at the bar, so just a few more and I'd be right where I wanted to be.

Kyle pressed against the metal bar on the door and pushed it open. The air shifted. I took a step through the door and stopped. The room was packed full of people. The centre of the room was dedicated to the dance floor full of bouncing and grinding bodies in a haze of glowing colours from the black lights that lined the ceiling. Surrounding the dance floor, the floor lifted a good two feet with the L-shaped bar in the back-left corner. Tall tables and long sofas were scattered all around the lifted perimeter.

"Kenny!" I managed to hear Kyle yell over the house music. "Bar! Drinks!"

I rolled my eyes and quickly pushed through the crowd to follow Kyle and Stan to the bar. After Stan finally managed to catch one of the bartender's attention, we ordered our drinks and found an empty table to stand at. I was almost half through my bourbon before we reached the table to get my stomach to settle. The room was wearing down my buzz but the moment the liquor touched my lips, it came racing back to me.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Kyle shouted over the music as he fiddled with his beer.

He was obviously nervous. His spur of the moment idea was weighing heavily on him in regret as he took in the surroundings. Not on my watch. "What do you feel like tonight?" I leaned closer to him to ask.

He looked up at me with a scrunched expression of confusion. "Huh?" He asked confusingly.

"Tall, dark and handsome? Quiet and meek? Mountain of muscles? What do you feel like?" I asked and made a smile form on Kyle's lips. Since the beginning, I was the wingman. Stan was terrible at flirting. Like, he used to throw up whenever he'd talk to girls he had crushes on, bad. He was a sweet guy, which was good in the long run, but he had no game which counted for the initial meeting. That was my forte.

He shook his head. "I don't have a preference," he answered.

"Ah, some Neapolitan tonight? Magnificent choice," I replied with a grin that made Kyle chuckle as Stan rolled his eyes.

I took a small sip of my drink as I turned to survey the crowd of people standing off the dance floor over the rim of my glass. My eyes quickly darted from person to person until it landed on my target. I grinned against the edge of my glass before I downed what was left of the contents. I turned to slam the glass down on the table and both Kyle and Stan gave me the same confused and interested look.

"Be right back," I said with a wink and then started to head off in the crowd. I stopped at the sofa where a tall man with dark, slicked back hair sat with a girl who had her blonde hair twirled up into a rather elaborate bun full of braids and tangles. They both looked up at me and I grinned as I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans. "Hi!"

The man's eyebrow slowly raised along with his hand. "I'll stop you right there, man. You're not my type," he said to me with a crooked grin.

I nodded. "I kind of figured that," I explained as I turned my body slightly. "I was thinking he might be more your type," I said and pulled my hand from my pocket to point my thumb through the crowd to Kyle who was standing at the table talking to Stan. "The red head. Unfortunately, tall, dark, and handsome doesn't swing for the home team."

The dark-haired man tilted his head slightly as he stared at Kyle. His blonde companion gently jabbed him in the side with her elbow as she grinned. "Do it. He's cute," she said in a quieted voice.

The man shifted his eyes to look up at me and I turned my head slightly. "I can't leave my friend here by herself," he said and the blonde girl rolled her eyes.

I shrugged my shoulders. "She can take tall, dark, and handsome. He needs a dance partner too," I explained and the girl was immediately on her feet.

"Well, you can sit here and be alone, or you can dance with the cute boy because I'm ditching your ass," she said and then quickly spun around to head over towards Stan.

The dark-haired man chuckled as he pushed himself to his feet. He passed by me with a sly grin on his face and walked over to Kyle who looked both shocked and amused by the girl who suddenly walked over to grab Stan's hand and led him away without saying a word. I watched as Kyle's body went rigid to the hand suddenly on his hip and the dark-haired man leaned in close enough that his lips almost touched the red head's ear as he whispered. I couldn't help but grin like a maniac as Kyle's cheeks brightened up a bit with pink and he slowly nodded. Two birds killed with one stone. I deserved a reward.

The bartender slid the bourbon towards me and I downed it almost instantly. The buzz was slowly converting to a cloud. One more. The drink slid down my throat with ease and I felt a wave wash over me, taking every single worry with it. I leaned back slightly and let out a long sigh.

"Oh, so tense," a soft voice said as a hand gently glided over shoulder, behind my neck, and over my other shoulder. The porcelain skinned beauty stepped in front of me and leaned back against the bar, putting herself close to touching me but not quite. "And what could you possibly be so stressed about, baby?"

She wasn't holding anything back. The part of me that was unamused and uninterested was silenced by the bourbon. My lips turned up into a crooked grin. "Well, I thought I'd have to go through tonight not seeing an angel. Guess I was wrong," I said.

She laughed and I felt her thumb rub against the side of my neck. The alcohol electrified every touch against my skin. "Does that line usually work on anyone?" She asked me as a thin eyebrow lifted.

I lazily shrugged my shoulders. "About six or seven times out of ten," I answered.

She leaned in close to me, still not touching. "Make this number eight," she said in a low voice and stepped around me.

Her manicured fingers wrapped around my arm to lead me away from the bar towards the dance floor. I didn't want to dance, but the alcohol was in charge. Whatever alcohol wanted, that's what we did.

We started dancing far apart with only our hands connected. I let the alcohol move me with the beat of the music. I had no idea what I was doing or how ridiculous I probably looked but it didn't seem to effect my partner any because she was moving closer. She'd follow every step forward with a small step back. The swing of her hips was hypnotizing me but she was playing hard to get.

I didn't like games.

My hand tightened around hers and in one fluid motion I pulled her towards me as I simultaneously spun her around so her back pressed against my chest. The connection lit me on fire. A hand found its way into my hair as we moved together, hips grinding and hands roaming over curves and edges. The heat was mixing with the alcohol and the fog in my mind was growing stronger. I wanted to lose myself in everything around me. The loud music. The warmth. The smell of perfume and cigarettes that wafted from my dancing partner. The alcohol in my system. I ran a hand along her arm to her shoulder. I leaned my head down and was about to let my lips move over the exposed skin of her neck but I stopped.

Everything stopped.

My eyes widened and my entire body went stiff. The loud thumping of my racing heartbeat drowned out the noise around me. My hands fell away from my dance partner and I took a step back. "No fucking way," I muttered quietly as the head of spiked, yellow hair disappeared in the crowd of dancers. It was like I was in a dream. I had to blink a few times. I couldn't tell if I actually saw it or not. "It can't be," I said and stepped around the girl I had abruptly ceased dancing with. She may have said something to me, but I had tunnel vision.

There's no fucking way.

I was stopped by a strong hand on my shoulder and quickly spun around. All my senses snapped back and I could hear the loud music again as I was faced with a large man packed full of muscles. "You got a habit out of dancing with another guy's girl?" He growled at me.

I blinked a few times to pull myself out of my confusion before my eyebrows knitted together. "Look, man, I didn't know she had a boyfriend. My bad," I said and tried to turn again but his hand was on my shoulder, spinning be back around to face him.

"My bad? That's all you've got to say?" He snapped louder.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't have time for this. Maybe you should be rethinking some things if she's just running around the club grinding against anyone who will take her than," I growled.

Like I said, alcohol was in charge. Whatever alcohol wanted, I dealt with the consequences. In that moment, it meant a very large fist connected with my face. I felt and heard the snap of my nose under the force followed by the back of my head slamming against the hard dance floor. Everything shifted and spun around me. I tried to blink it all away but the blow got me.

It couldn't have been him.

…could it?

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

"Ah! Fuck!" I yelled when Kyle pressed the freezing cold ice pack against my face.

"Stop being such a baby," Kyle said and sat down next to me on the couch. "The doctor said you had to keep icing it to keep the swelling down or you won't be able to see."

When I finally woke up from being knocked unconscious, I was being wheeled into the emergency room with Kyle and Stan at my side. They had called an ambulance when they couldn't wake me up and blood was practically pouring from my broken nose. The doctor set my nose, checked to make sure my skull wasn't broken, and sent me home after an hour of sitting around being laughed at by Kyle and Stan when I told them what exactly happened.

"Sorry I ruined your birthday," I muttered with my head tilted back and the ice pack on my sore face.

Kyle sputtered. "Are you kidding? Best birthday ever. I can't believe you got knocked out for dancing with a guy's girlfriend," he explained and tried to hold back the small spurts of chuckles.

"Oh, I'm glad you're enjoying this. I'm only in an immense amount of pain," I replied and gently pressed my finger against my tender cheek.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that you look fantastic? Nose braces are really in this season," Kyle joked and I lifted my hand to flip him off with no idea where exactly he was sitting since I was staring up at the ceiling. I let my hand fall against the couch and frowned. I couldn't stop thinking about the yellow hair as it disappeared. "Kenny? Come on, there's no need to be upset. You've gone through worst injuries before."

I could hear the worry in Kyle's tone. I pressed my hand to the ice pack to keep it against my face as I tilted my head forward again. Kyle's lips were set in a thin line as he tilted his head slightly, his eyebrows furrowed together. I shook my head. "I'm not upset about my nose, Kyle," I explained with a smile but it wasn't genuine and Kyle knew it.

"What's bothering you then? What happened at the club?" He asked.

His green eyes were intense. Of all the people, he was the last person I wanted to tell because I knew there was a lecture waiting for me behind all the worry. I was weak to those eyes though. They bore down to the soul and clawed at the truth. They made you want to spill your secrets whether they were true or not. You just wanted to speak so that he'd stop.

"Kenny?" He pressed.

"I thought—," I blurted out but caught myself to clear my throat as I lowered the ice pack to my lap. I had to look away. I couldn't look at him anymore, but I could still feel his eyes on me. "I thought I saw someone we used to know," I explained in a low voice.

"Who—?" Kyle started to ask but stopped himself with a sharp inhale. I quickly turned my head to look back at him and he frowned hard. His entire face wrinkled with the shift of his expression. He looked away from me. He knew.

"It's impossible though," I said and he shifted his eyes to look back at me. I forced on the most genuine smile that I could as I ran my fingers through my hair. "I had a lot to drink tonight. I had to have been seeing things. It just spooked me is all," I explained and Kyle turned his head to open his mouth as if he was going to say something. I had to stop him. I didn't want to hear a lecture or sympathy or whatever it was that was going to come from his mouth. I quickly stood up, the ice pack clutched tightly in my hand. "I'm—I'm pretty tired. I'm gonna go to bed. Good night, Kyle."

He stared up at me with wide eyes and then smiled as he slowly nodded. "Good night, Kenny," he replied in a quiet voice.

I started to walk away but stopped myself. I slowly turned and Kyle was facing me with a sad expression that quickly shifted when I looked at him. "Happy birthday buddy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit themightypookums.tumblr.com for original artwork by yours truly!


	3. Haunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you really think about it, is my life really that much different from everyone else's? I live with my best friends, I have a full-time job, and I go out to the movies and for dinner. The only thing that's really different is the fact that I run around in a costume as a superhero at night...and that I'm immortal...and I have an archenemy.
> 
> Okay, my life is not normal. It's the furthest thing from normal. Fuck, how did this happen? I mean, I didn't ask for this. The more I think about it, the more I think this is all a curse rather than a gift. I mean, who would want this? I'm gonna get an ulcer before I'm thirty at this rate.
> 
> Ugh, whatever. Not much I can do at this point in time...except quit--like that's gonna happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Visit themightypookums.tumblr.com for original artwork by yours truly!

The gang member stumbled back with a grunt as my foot connected with his chest and then I landed another blow with the bat he had tried to use against me.  The impact with his head instantly knocked him unconscious.  His limp body fell to the ground with a heavy thud.  I tossed the bat on top of him and turned to face the remaining five men dressed in black.  Their faces were covered with bandanas and low brimmed hats to hide their identities from the cameras of the jewellery store they had just finished breaking into and robbing.  We were standing in the alleyway a block away and I was the only thing standing in their way of freedom.

“Get outta the way!” one of the robbers shouted angrily from behind his mask.

I grinned. “Make me,” I replied in my deep, gruff voice.

Challenge accepted, apparently.  Two of them lunged forward at me and I was moving without even thinking.  It was all muscle memory by that point in time.  I dodged the first fist to land a blow against the attacker’s side.  He stumbled and the second attacker swung.  I quickly ducked and kicked his legs out from underneath him.  The loud crack of my fist connecting with his face echoed through the alleyway and his body went limp.

_Two out of six._

The three attackers who hadn’t moved yet decided it was their turn.  I reached over to grab the lid off a metal garbage can beside me.  I didn’t think they still made metal garbage cans.  Seemed strange but it was there.  I blocked the first attack with the lid and then used it to strike the attacker.

_Three out of six._

The second attacker tried to get me from the side.  I ducked and grabbed the handle of the lid to hold it like a shield against my arm.  I swung backwards, using my entire body as momentum to slam the lid against the attacker who stumbled and slammed against the wall of the building.

_Four out of six._

The third attacker kicked the lid out of my hand and then landed a blow to my stomach.  I curled in on myself as I stepped back and blocked the next kick aimed for my head. “Ah!” I screamed as something sharp pierced my arm.  It wasn’t long, but it dug into the flesh and I could feel it scrape against my bone.  The attacker in front of me kicked again.  I stopped his leg and threw him into his partner.  They both went down with a loud grunt.  I grabbed the knife that stuck out from my arm and slowly removed it.  Pain shot through my body with something else that instantly dulled the sensation.  Adrenaline.  The knife clattered against the ground and I panted heavily.  Anger boiled my blood as I watched the robbers get up from the ground.  They faced me and both lunged forward at the same time.

 ** _Snap!_**   An elbow bent backwards with a loud scream.

_Five out of six._

**_Crack!_**   A knee kicked in from the side.

Both attackers were on the ground writhing in pain and I had to blink a few times.  I had been lost in a haze of limbs and fury and was slowly drifting back to reality.  I looked around the area and scoffed.

_Six out of six._

“I guess the workout regiments are actually paying off,” I said with a grin as I stepped over the unconscious bodies to grab the bags full of stolen jewellery that had been dropped at the mouth of the alley. “It was a pleasure, boys, but unfortunately, you couldn’t quite pass the test.”

I stepped out of the alleyway to make my way down the sidewalk back towards the jewellery store.  I was a building away when the first police car came screeching to a halt.  The officer quickly sprang from the driver’s side, weapon drawn and ready with the barrel pointed directly at me.  She had long, brown hair thrown up into a high ponytail and intense eyes.

“Stop right there!” she shouted, finger ready on the trigger.

I did as she said.  The bags were heavy in the hand attached to my uninjured arm.  I tossed them forward slightly and the woman’s eyebrows slowly furrowed together as she looked down at them and then quickly back up at me.

I rolled my eyes. “It’s all there.  Plus, there’s six guys in an alley just down the street ready to be taken to the hospital in handcuffs.  You might want to hurry.  I don’t know how long they’ll stay down for,” I explained and then turned to head towards the gap between the jewellery store and the building next to it.

“Hold on!” the officer shouted.  I stopped with a sharp sigh. “Vigilantism is a crime, Mysterion.  I—I have to take you in.”

I threw my head back with a slow inhale through my nose.  Dealing with the police was starting to get annoying.  They were like a fly that would keep buzzing around your head no matter how many times you’d swat it away.  They never posed any real threat.  They were pretty useless, but fuck were they annoying as all hell to avoid.  I let my head fall to the side to look at the woman who stiffened her shoulders.

“Then do it,” I taunted the woman and she swallowed noticeably. “I’ve been running around these streets for a year now and no one’s even come close to catching me.  Which means, the entire Denver police department is completely incompetent, or you all don’t want to catch me because you know I’m doing some fucking good for this city,” I explained and the officer blinked.  I hit a nerve somewhere, but I wanted to hear which one straight from her. “So, which is it, officer?  Because I’d really like to know.  Incompetence or admiration?”

The high-pitched sirens of the incoming police cars grew louder from the distance.  My heart was racing but I kept my stoic expression as I stared at the police officer.  She stared back at me, her gun still pointed at me.  She was a stubborn one but I could see the gears grinding in her head.  She rolled her shoulders and let out a loud sigh when the sirens were getting dangerously close.  She dropped her weapon and slid it back into the holster on her hip.  I finally breathed but didn’t drop my stiff stance.

“Get the hell out of here, Mysterion, before my backup shows up and we have no choice,” the officer ordered in a flat voice.

I grinned and ducked into the alley before the police cars whipped around the corner to join their partner.

“Well, that could have gone a hell of a lot worst,” Stan’s voice snapped in my ear.  I rolled my eyes as I climbed up the fire escape to the top of the building. “She could have arrested you and then what the hell would you have done?”

I reached the top of the ladder and started to jog across the rooftop.  My morning runs with Stan were really paying off.  I had a lot more stamina than I did before we started.  It also gave me more strength when I fought.

“She wasn’t going to arrest me,” I replied.

We were speaking through the small device lodged in my ear.  Something Kyle bought off the internet.  It was some sort of high-frequency walkie talkie that was usually used by military or something.  I asked Kyle how much it cost him and he just shrugged his shoulders as he made a loud, incoherent noise.  It had a range all over Denver and Kyle got four.  One for each of us and an extra one just in case.  I was skeptical about it at first but it was actually a good idea.  When Kyle and Stan were home, they could keep an eye on the news and social media and tell me if anything was going on somewhere I didn’t know about.  It made me a hell of a lot more efficient, even if I had to deal with obsessive nagging occasionally.  Plus, if I got into trouble and needed them to find me, they were easy enough to reach rather than using my phone and risking it being taken by someone.

“You don’t know that,” Stan answered, his mouth full of something crunchy.

“What the hell are you eating?” I asked and vaulted over the rise that divided two rooftops connected to each other.

“Popcorn.  I’m watching a movie,” Stan answered and threw more food into his mouth.  I could hear the loud crunching. “Morgan.  It’s pretty fucked up, dude.”

“You’re watching that without me!” I snapped. “Dick!  I told you I wanted to see it.”

“You always say you want to watch a movie so we stay up until you get back from patrol, put it on, and you fall asleep within the first half hour,” Stan explained and I opened my mouth to reply but he kept talking. “You can try to say that I’m wrong, but you know that I’m right.  No matter how stubborn you are, you know I’m right, so just don’t say anything.”

I closed my mouth and chuckled. “Damn, Stanley, what’s got your panties in a bunch tonight?” I asked.

“Work was fucked up tonight.  Some guy beat his kid’s dog for barking too much,” he explained and I slowed down to stop at the edge of a roof.

“Dude, that’s fucked up,” I replied, my eyebrows furrowed together.

“Yeah, the dog’s okay though.  He had a broken leg and some internal bleeding, but he’s okay now,” Stan said and I could hear the strain in his voice. “It was just—.”

“Fucked up,” I finished for him and he hummed in agreement.

I had taken a few steps back before getting a running start to leap from the roof and grab onto the metal scaffolding along the side of the building that couldn’t be accessed from the ground.  I slammed against the metal with a loud grunt and sighed.

“You alright?” Stan asked worriedly.

I chuckled and lifted myself over the railing to start climbing the stairs. “I’m fine.  Nothing I haven’t done before,” I said smugly and Stan scoffed. “Where’s Kyle?  Shouldn’t he be home by now?”

“He messaged me like two hours ago saying he was going out for drinks with some of his study peers.  I guess he’s still drinking,” Stan explained and shoved more popcorn into his mouth.

“I don’t know how he does it.  It’s July and he’s tutoring.  During the summer you’re supposed to relax from school but he decides to integrate himself into more school,” I noted and Stan sighed loudly. “I don’t get it.”

“He needed a second job from the bookstore,” he explained. “They couldn’t give him enough hours, tutoring pays well, and Kyle can pick his hours.  It’s a pretty good gig.  He gets to teach a bunch of numbskulls and gets paid an ass load for it.”

I stopped climbing the stairs for a moment to hold onto the railings and narrowed my eyes. “I—I don’t think you’re allowed to say that while you’re taking about him, Stanley,” I mentioned.

“What?  Say wha—?” he started to ask but stopped himself to groan loudly in disgust.  I grinned wickedly and continued up the stairs. “Fuck you, Kenny.  I wasn’t even thinking.”

“I know, that’s what makes it so funny,” I replied and climbed over the short wall.

“You’re an asshole and I hate you,” Stan growled but I didn’t respond. “Kenny?” he asked. “Kenny, did you fall off a rooftop finally?  Oh, please tell me you fell off a rooftop,” he said with a chuckle that didn’t last long. “Okay, seriously dude, don’t—.”

“Ah!” I screamed as I leaned over the top of the couch.

“Holy fuck!” Stan shrieked and popcorn flew all over the place.  I didn’t hold back the eruption of laughter that exploded from me. “Dammit Kenny, don’t do that!” Stan yelled, paused his movie and grabbed a hand full of popcorn to throw it at me.

“Hey, don’t waste food,” I said between heavy breaths and popped a kernel into my mouth.

“You can eat them all off the floor then since it’s your fault,” he snapped and set the bowl down next to him on the couch. “I hate you so much.”

“I’m aware, but can you hate me and patch up my arm at the same time?” I asked with a wide, toothy grin.

Stan exhaled and his face fell into an unamused expression. “What did you do this time?” he asked.

“Got stabbed,” I answered and moved my arm to show the wound. “It’s just my arm.  Doesn’t even really hurt, but I’m bleeding quite a bit.  Will you kiss it better?”

Stan rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the couch. “Come on, idiot,” he said and led the way up the stairs to the bathroom.

I released my cape from my neck to hang it on the back of the door as Stan rummaged through the cupboards for the first aid kit.  I carefully removed my shirt over my head and examined the hole in the fabric. “Awe man, I have to sew this thing again,” I groaned and dropped the shirt in the sink before I hopped up on to the vanity.

“If you stopped getting stabbed, you wouldn’t have to sew up your costume so much and I wouldn’t have to sew you up so much,” Stan explained and stood with the first aid kit in his hands.

“But then we wouldn’t have these wonderful bonding moments I enjoy so much,” I replied with a wide grin.

Stan frowned. “You stab yourself on purpose, don’t you?  Just to make me do this,” he asked suspiciously.

I wiggled my eyebrows at him and he set the kit down beside me as I laughed. “Imagine if I did.  That would make me a complete lunatic,” I said and Stan opened the kit to grab the first thing he always grabbed: alcohol swab.

“You are a complete lunatic,” Stan stood in front of me to say.  Even on the vanity, I wasn’t as tall as him.  We were almost the same height, but not quite.  I think it was his hair.

I hummed as I rocked my head back and forth. “Yeah, I guess you’re—ouch!  Holy shit!” Stan laughed.  The pain came from the alcohol swab pressed to my wound.  It always caught me by surprise how fucking much it stung. “Dammit, Stanley, give a guy a little warning next time.”

“Don’t be such a baby,” Stan replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Revenge?  Is that what this is?” I asked and hissed when Stan pressed into the wound again.

He nodded quickly. “Abso-fucking-lutely,” he answered smugly.

I groaned as Stan finished cleaning the wound.  It may have sucked, but nothing was worst than the needle and thread that Stan pulled from the kit.  He was better at it all since we first started.  He would say that working at the animal hospital made him better for helping me, but I think it was the other way around.  I held on tightly to the edge of the vanity as the needle poked through my skin.  I bit down on my bottom lip to keep myself from screaming.  It didn’t hurt nearly as bad as the first few times.  I was pretty sure I was becoming resilient to pain.  Was that a good thing?  Probably not.

“Good thing is, the knife missed your snake,” Stan spoke up after a long stretch of silence in my pain.

I hummed in response, unable to actually make out any words in my situation.

He was referring to the tattoo that wrapped around my right arm.  The end of the tail of the snake started just below my elbow.  The body wrapped around my upper arm and the head ended just below my collarbone.  I had tattoos all along both arms but my snake was the largest one.  Stan had a few just on his left arm.  A small owl on his wrist.  A compass on his forearm.  A strange symbol he said symbolized good luck just below his shoulder.  And the word REX just beside the symbol.  We had gradually accumulated the tattoos since we moved to Denver.  Each time one of us wanted a tattoo, the other went and got one too.  Kyle wasn’t into tattoos, but we did manage to convince him to get the two piercings on his right eyebrow when we had enough alcohol in him.  He was pissed when he woke up the next day, but he quickly got over it when he realized it didn’t look that bad.

“I’m almost done, just one more time,” Stan said and I groaned loudly as the needle poked through my skin for the final time.  He tied up the thread, bandaged the wound, and examined his handy work with a small smile. “Not bad if I say so myself,” he said proudly.

“Thank you, Doctor Marsh,” I sang with a wide grin.

“You know, I kind of like the way that sounds,” he beamed proudly.

“Do I get a lollipop for being a good little boy?” I asked with a seductive voice that made Stan instantly frown.

“Why do you have to ruin it every single time?” he asked with a sigh.

I chuckled but it was cut off when we heard the main door downstairs open and then slam shut followed by a soft thud.  Stan and I looked at each other with confused expressions. “Is that Kyle?” I asked.  Stan shrugged his shoulders and opened the door to poke his head out. “Hey, Ky—!” I started to shout but was stopped when Stan quickly whipped back around to clamp his hand over my mouth.  He quickly turned the light off and I could see him press his finger to his lips from the light that came from the glow of the television downstairs.  My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as Stan slowly took his hand away from my mouth.

Silence passed over until I heard it.  Soft moans and gasps from downstairs.  I looked at Stan with wide eyes and he nodded rapidly.  Footsteps moved and thumped up the stairs.  Stan and I shifted so the door was only open a crack but that both of us could peek through.  Kyle reached the top of the stairs first and turned as an unknown brunet wrapped a pair of long arms around him to pull him close.  Their lips connected and I reached out to grab Stan’s shoulder.  He had to cover his mouth to stifle whatever noise was about to leap from his throat.  I shook him almost violently to keep myself from making a noise loud enough to be heard a block away.  Kyle and his date were handsy as they shuffled awkwardly with each other.  Kyle was pressed roughly against his bedroom door across the small hallway from where we watched and he fumbled to find the doorknob as the brunet grabbed the bottom of his shirts.  The door swung open.  Kyle’s shirts were removed and he sighed as the brunet’s mouth latched onto his neck.  They stepped into the darkness of Kyle’s room and the door slammed shut.  Awkward silence loomed in the air.  Stan quietly closed the bathroom door and he sat on the floor as we both let out quiet laughter.

“Holy shit, I didn’t think he had it in him,” I whispered and reached over to turn on the small nightlight we all agreed to use when we moved in to make walking around in the dark easier.

“What do you think?  Fellow tutor or numbskull?” Stan asked with a wide grin.

I shook my head. “Too pretty to be a tutor,” I answered and we both snorted into laughter again.  I was practically crying when Stan suddenly stopped laughing with a long sigh. “What—What’s wrong?” I asked, stifling my laughter.

“My room is right next to his,” he groaned and tilted his head back to rest it against the wall.

“Just come sleep in my room.  Bring your laptop and we’ll watch movies until we fall asleep,” I suggested and Stan didn’t refuse.  So that’s what we did for the night.  We watched movies on his laptop until I fell asleep first and he fell asleep soon after me.  We woke the next morning to warm light and a loud horn honking outside.  We poked our heads out from the bedroom to look around as if we were planning some great escape from our prison cell. “Do you think he spent the entire night?”

“I didn’t hear the door at all, so I think so,” Stan answered.

We were quiet as we started our morning and continuously kept glancing up the stairs in anticipation of any movement.  We sat at the dining table with our bowls of cereal and coffee and the television turned on low as we waited.  We had barely said anything to each other.  We were too focused.  I lifted a spoon full of cereal up to my mouth but stopped when the floorboards creaked above.  _Finally._   Stan and I both looked up and then at each other with wide smiles.

“Someone’s up,” I sang.

“Maybe they’re both up,” Stan replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Should we be nice or completely ruthless this morning?” I asked with my elbow on the table and my chin on my palm.

Stan lifted his mug to take a sip of his coffee. “Well, considering this is Kyle we’re talking about—,” he said, dragging on the last word before he took a loud sip of his drink.

“Completely fucking ruthless?” I asked.

Stan nodded quickly. “Absolutely,” he answered with a whispered voice and set his mug down.

I chuckled and a door opened.  We both leaned to get a good look as footsteps raced down the stairs.  In the dark it was difficult to see Kyle’s date properly, but in the light he was absolutely gorgeous.  He had slightly tanned skin, dark brown hair, and sharp features.  He was probably about my height and toned.  He was struggling to get on his sweater as he fumbled for the door.  He was in a panic and didn’t bother to take in his surroundings before he threw open the door.

“Nice to meet you!” I shouted as he pulled the door shut behind him on the way out. “He seems nice,” I turned to say to Stan who hummed lightly and slowly nodded.

Slower, softer footsteps moved next overhead.  Stan and I leaned once again as Kyle made his way down the stairs.  He stopped at the bottom and we both grinned wildly at him.  His hair was a mess and he wore shorts with a baggy shirt.  He looked like a hot mess with red marks on his neck and dark circles under his tired looking eyes.  He glared, genuinely glared at us, as we smiled at him.

“If either one of you says a thing, I will rip out your tongues and feed them to you.  Do you understand me?” he threatened and the seriousness in his tone was quite terrifying.

We nodded but didn’t say anything.  Kyle shuffled into the kitchen and I turned my head to look at Stan.  He gave me a curious look as I wiggled my eyebrows at him and telepathically told him, “watch this”.  Kyle returned to sit across the table from me with a coffee cradled in his hands.  Silence.  But not for long.

“So, Kyle,” I spoke up with feigned interest.  Kyle looked up at me through his eyelashes, the warning look in his eyes.  No matter how terrified I was of that look, I had to ignore it.  I couldn’t help it, I was a fucking glutton for punishment.  Stan lifted his mug back to his lips, his eyes were focused intensely on me, waiting for whatever was about to come out of my mouth next. “Stan and I were thinking about participating in the rodeo and were wondering if you could give us some tips on how to ride.”

Stan choked into his mug.  The loud sputtering noises that came from him would have been worrisome if he weren’t laughing hysterically in the process while trying to catch his breath.  I tried to pinch back the smile that formed on my face but I couldn’t help it as Kyle stared at me.  His eyes burned hot with rage.  _Fucking worth it._

“I hate you so goddamn much,” he growled and I shrugged my shoulders up to my ears.

“What else is new?”

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

“What do you want?” Stan asked from across the table.

“I have no freaking clue.  This menu is complete gibberish to me,” Kyle replied next to him.

Stan set down his menu with a long, frustrated sigh. “Kenny, do you have any idea?” He asked me.

I looked at him over the top of my menu and grinned. “I have no goddamn clue,” I answered.

“Why did we decide to come here?  It’s so sketchy,” Stan explained and shifted in his seat, bumping into Kyle who was still trying to decipher the menu of broken English.

“It’s something different,” Kyle answered as he put his hand on Stan’s shoulder to shove him away when he was spending too long leaning against him. “We need something different once in a while.”

The something different was a Vietnamese restaurant a few blocks from the apartment near Cosmic Books, Kyle’s work.  Stan and I had stopped by near the end of his shift to bug him and grab a coffee from the barista stand.  The cute blonde barista wasn’t working, but a cuter brunet was.  He was small and chipper, like a cross breed of the blonde barista and Kyle.  I shamelessly flirted with him until his cheeks were redder than a tomato and he was fumbling with the take away cups with noticeable nervousness.

“You are literally the worst,” Stan muttered into his cup as we turned away from the stand. “You’ll hit on anything with two legs and a heartbeat.”

“Awe, is someone jealous?” I teased as I jabbed my finger into Stan’s side.  He struggled to keep himself from coughing up his drink. “It’s okay, Stan, no one will ever replace you.  You will always have a special place in my heart as the one who I’ll never have but always be connected to,” I said in a jokingly seductive voice as I dragged my finger along his cheek slowly.

“Are you done?” Stan snapped and smacked my hand away.

I laughed and took a small sip of my drink.  When Kyle was done his shift, we started down the street but was distracted by the sketchy looking Vietnamese restaurant.  Kyle wanted to go inside.  Stan protested against it.  Take a wild guess as to who won that argument.

“And think about it,” Kyle continued to say, finally looking up from his menu to smile at Stan. “This is how you know it’s truly authentic Vietnamese cooking.  Give it a chance, Stan.”

“I’d give it a chance if I knew what the hell it was,” Stan muttered, his cheek resting on his palm with his elbow on the table.

“Have you decided what you like to order?” The waitress asked as she approached the table.  She had a slight accent I wasn’t familiar with and dark, narrow eyes.  She looked as if she was still in her teens, maybe seventeen or eighteen.

Stan and Kyle both looked up at me.  I rolled my eyes and cleared my throat as I set the menu down. “We have absolutely no idea what we want, so maybe you could help us out?  I’m thinking a soup, chicken, something spicy, and lots of noodles,” I explained.

The girl smiled as she nodded enthusiastically.  She bowed her head and quickly turned to shuffle towards the kitchen. “How the hell do you do that?” Kyle asked with a shake of his head.

“It’s called having social skills, something you lack with anyone outside Stan and I,” I explained with a grin that made Kyle flip me off from across the table.

Our waiting consisted of us folding our napkins into animals and throwing whatever we could find at each other.  When we used up all of our napkins, we stole more from the nearby table which earned dark glares and soft murmurs from surrounding tables who were definitely not impressed by our shenanigans.  Stan and I sat ready with our hands placed flat on the table, a stolen napkin in front of each of us.

“Ready?” Kyle asked.  We had looked over the step by step guide a few times and were ready to race.  We both nodded and Kyle grinned. “Go!” He shouted.

Stan and I both moved simultaneously.  We each grabbed our napkins and started to fold as quickly as possible.  We were earning more odd looks from the people seated at nearby tables as we grew louder.  We were laughing and egging each other on with insults and unrealistic mocking of each other.  Our rowdy behaviour was gaining lots of attention, and not in a good way, but that wasn’t anything new for us.

“Done!” I shouted as I threw my hands up.

Kyle and Stan both looked up and laughed. “What the hell is that?” Kyle asked between heavy spouts of laughter.

“It’s a swan,” I answered with a proud grin.

“It does not look like a swan,” Kyle explained as he shook his head.

“It kind of looks like a dick when you tilt your head,” Stan explained as he did exactly that.

Kyle mimicked his friend and nodded. “Yep, it definitely looks like a dick,” he agreed.

“You guys are both dicks,” I said and flicked the napkin to send it flying across the table at Stan.

The doors to the kitchen swung open and the waitress approached carrying three bowls on a large tray.  She set a bowl in front of each of us, bowed again, and disappeared in the kitchen. “What is it?” Kyle asked as he picked up his spoon to gently stir his soup.

“It’s food, that’s all you need to know,” I said and shoved the first spoon full of soup into my mouth.  I had no idea what it was or what was in it, but it tasted good.

“We’re being watched,” Stan suddenly said while looking over my shoulder as he pointed behind me with his spoon.

I turned.  My spoon in my mouth pressed to my tongue as I looked over my shoulder to the table of girls in the corner.  They were all staring at us as they whispered quietly to each and giggled on occasion.  I continued to hold the spoon in my mouth as I grinned and winked noticeably at them.  They all reacted just how I expected with high-pitched giggles and shyly looking away.

“You are fucking shameless,” Kyle said in a low voice as he shook his head.

“Says the one who had a one night stand about a week ago,” I turned to say to him with a crooked grin.

Kyle stopped with his spoon almost lifted to his mouth to look up at me through his eyelashes.  After my comment at the table the morning after his “tutoring session”, Kyle proceeded to make my life a living hell for three days straight.  I deserved it, but it was still worth it.  When the torment was over, Kyle finally told us what happened.

“A group of us went out for drinks,  I drank a lot and so did he,” Kyle explained while sitting cross legged on the couch next to me. “Carla’s currently tutoring him.  I had never met him before that day.”

Stan and I both looked at each other to say, “Numbskull,” in unison.  Kyle frowned.

“Shut up, Kenny,” Kyle snapped as he continued to eat his soup.

I chuckled and we continued to eat our dinner being our usual loud, obnoxious selves.  I flicked the folded piece of paper that was wrapped around my utensils and it landed perfectly in the middle of Stan’s plate.  I smacked the table and laughed as he looked up at me with a stern expression.  He rolled his eyes and suddenly shifted to look up over my shoulder.  I didn’t turn my head before the expensively manicured hand ran along my arm to press the folded napkin into my palm.  I looked up at the girl with a pixie haircut as she smiled down at me.  She was part of the table of gawking girls who passed by her on their way out of the restaurant so she could catch up to them.  When they were out of view I unfolded the napkin and turned it to show Kyle and Stan who were both wide eyed with shock.

“You didn’t even say anything to her and she just gives you her number?” Kyle asked with irritation in his voice.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I mean, can you blame her?” I asked with a toothy grin and tossed the napkin aside.

“You’re not gonna call her?” Stan asked, his eyebrows knitted together in curiosity.

I shrugged my shoulders as I leaned back into the stiff cushions of the seat. “Too busy,” I answered.

Kyle rolled his eyes noticeably. “Come on, Kenny.  You haven’t gone out with anyone since before graduation.  It might do you some good to go out with her.  Take her to a restaurant or a movie.  See if she’s someone you wouldn’t mind taking out on a second date.”

I scoffed and rolled my head to crack my neck. “I doubt she’s a second date kind of girl,” I explained with a crooked grin.

“How would you know?  You’ve had a two second interaction with her that involved smiling and not saying a word to each other,” Kyle explained. “You need a distraction.”

“Or a release, whichever comes first,” Stan said quietly with a small smile.

I lifted my hand to point at Stan while keeping my attention on Kyle. “He gets it,” I said and Stan tapped the tip of his nose with the end of his spoon.

“No!  Come on, that’s not the point.  You need to find someone to date, not to screw and leave,” Kyle explained, his annoyance coming through his tone. “Kenny, you have to get over it and the only way to do that is by moving on with someone.”

Tension filled the space between us.  Kyle was at his breaking point and I could feel it.  He knew me better than anyone when it came to my track record with dating.  He was there for everything from the okay to the absolute worst.  I let out a small sigh and reached over to grab the napkin to fold it and shove it into my pocket.

“Alright Kyle, I will try,” I said with a soft smile that made Kyle sigh loudly in relief.

For the record, I did try.  I called the number to which a very chipper voice answered and told me to meet them at a bar deep downtown.  When I showed up I immediately spotted the girl sitting at the bar in a short, ruffled skirt and patterned shirt.  She had a drink set in front of her and she smiled when she saw me enter.  She wasn’t bad to look at.  She had an hourglass figure and a thin face, but there was something off.  Something didn’t feel right to me, but I had to try.

“I thought for a moment there that you wouldn’t call,” she explained as she ran her finger along the rim of her glass.

I took the bar stool next to my mystery date and ordered a drink from the bartender. “Well, that would have been silly of me, wouldn’t it?” I replied with a quirky smile.

She tucked a bit of hair behind her ear and lifted her glass to take a drink. “So, tell me about yourself, Ken,” she said, keeping her voice low with some mystery to the tone.

I groaned internally.  I was already put off by this girl.  I specifically said Kenny on the phone, she was trying too hard at something different.  I ignored the obvious attempt at being a mysterious flirt, especially with how bad she was at it.  I had to try.  I promised.

“There isn’t much to tell,” I replied. “Thanks,” I said to the bartender as he slid my drink towards me. “Pretty normal guy with a pretty normal life.”

I lifted my drink to take a sip.  The girl scoffed loudly. “That’s lame.  Come on, I’m sure there’s something,” she explained with a small smile that made me scoff.

_“I am Mysterion, the vigilante of the night who runs around beating up bad guys in a purple costume.  I’m immortal.  And I have the emotional stability of a newborn.”_

“I work at a garage and live with two other guys who I’ve been friends with since preschool.  Does that count?” I asked and took a large drink of my beer.

The girl hummed as she gently rocked her head back and forth. “Not really.  That’s just kind of pathetic,” she explained and sipped her drink.

 _“I’m already bored,”_ I thought to myself.

The bar door opened and I saw the flash of yellow out of the corner of my eyes that made my chest tighten instinctively.  I shifted my eyes without turning my head.  The yellow hair belonged to a girl who entered with her tall, probably boyfriend by the way she was touching his arm.  I didn’t realize I was gritting my teeth until I felt a sharp pain in my tightened jaw.

“You’re not very talkative,” my so-called date explained.

 _“And you’re not very interesting,”_ I thought. “Talk is cheap,” I replied in a flat tone before I took another large drink of my beer and shifted to face her, my hand on the back of her seat as I leaned in. “I find communication is more effective without having to speak.  After all, body language makes up for most of our communication.”

The smile that formed on her face was exactly what I was looking for.  It didn’t take much to get her right where I wanted her because I’m pretty sure she was waiting for me to get her there.  Unfortunately, I broke my promise to Kyle.  I tried, but not very hard.  After finishing off our drinks we ended up back at her place.  It was small and cluttered, but I wasn’t going to stay long.  Just long enough to release the tension in my shoulders and…other places.

“Seriously man?” Stan asked through the communicator in my ear.  I sighed as I let my legs dangle over the edge of the rooftop I sat on. “I mean, you know me, I am all for having fun, but Kyle is going to kill you.”

“It’s not my fault.  I tried,” I replied and grinned, “for like two seconds.”

“You’re fucking terrible.”

“That’s definitely not what she said,” I replied quickly and Stan groaned loudly on the other end of the transmitter.

“Are you talking to Kenny?” I heard Kyle ask from a distance on Stan’s end after a door faintly shut.  He had a tutoring session with one of his students and we, naturally, harassed the shit out of him about it.  Needless to say, if murder was legal, Stan and I would have been dead a thousand times over.

“Say no,” I snapped.

“Yep,” Stan answered with a small pop of his lips at the end.

“I hate you so goddamn much,” I growled angrily.

Stan chuckled. “Hang on, I just have to put down my stuff,” Kyle’s voice came through faintly.

“Do not tell him,” I said and pushed myself up to my feet to stand with my toes hanging over the edge of the roof.  I had the biggest urge to stretch my arms out at my sides and lean forward until I felt completely weightless.

“He’s gonna find out, regardless if I tell him or not,” Stan said, keeping his voice low.  Kyle must have still been nearby. “It’s just gonna be a hell of a lot funnier if I tell him.”

“Stan, I swear to fucking—.”

“So, how was your date?” Kyle asked, his voice clear from putting his own earpiece in.

I could practically hear Stan’s smug grin on the other end.  “It was—uh—good,” I answered and closed my eyes.  That wouldn’t have been convincing enough to make a toddler believe me.

“Good?  That’s all you got?  Good?  Come on, there’s got to be—,” Kyle stopped himself and the silence hung heavy.  Stan was trying hard to hold back his laughter. “Dammit, Kenny, you slept with her, didn’t you?”

Stan snorted. “I think that’s a record,” he said with a small chuckle.

“Shut up, Stan,” I snapped.  My head quickly whipped around at the sound of someone screaming but it quickly turned into hysterical, drunk laughter from the girl who stumbled out of the nightclub with what I assumed was a group of her friends.

“Kenny, what happened to finding someone to date?  Getting to know them on levels other than the physical one?” Kyle asked, his tone full of annoyance and disappointment.

“I did get to know her,” I said and Kyle made a small noise. “I got to know real quick that she’s a boring person and not at all someone who I want to see again.  And she used to do gymnastics.  She didn’t tell me that, but I could definitely tell.”

Stan snorted. “Fucking savage,” he said before he chuckled.

It was Kyle’s turn to snap at him. “You were told to shut up, Stan.”

“Look, Kyle,” I started to say as I moved back from the edge of the rooftop, “I know why you’re so focused, but I’m not about to start dating random people just for the fun of it.”

“Yeah, screwing them and leaving is a much better idea,” Stan interrupted. “Much healthier way of coping.”

“I swear, I will come over there, Stanley,” Kyle said in a warning tone that made Stan laugh nervously.

“You unfortunately can’t force love, Kyle.  That’s why one night stands were created,” I said with a proud grin.

“You should know better than anyone, player,” Stan took his chance to say in a low voice.

“That’s it, you son of a—!” Kyle shouted but was cut off by a loud, girlish shriek from Stan followed by a lot of clattering and scuffling.  I rolled my eyes with a long sigh.

“Help!” A panicked scream suddenly echoed from nearby and was not followed up with laughter.  I quickly spun around and the voice screamed again, “Please, help me!  Someone!”

“Break time’s over,” I said before I clicked off my earpiece and dashed across the rooftop.

The screams were coming from nearby in an alleyway between a boutique and office building.  I started at a distance to charge full speed towards the hooded figure who had a man pinned against the wall of the boutique.  I slammed full force into the hooded figure.  They didn’t stand a chance against my momentum.  They slammed against the ground and I quickly stepped over them to strike my fist into their face.  Instant knock out.

“Are you alright?” I asked as I turned to face the victim.

He leaned forward and nodded.  I couldn’t see his face in the dark and his body was shaking.  I took a step forward, arm stretched out to touch his shoulder but stopped when I saw the dark object in his hand.  A dark looming feeling behind me made my spine tingle.  I quickly spun around and was met with two other figures.  I sighed loudly and shook my head.

“Don’t you guys get tired of this game?” I asked with an exasperated tone.

It wasn’t anything new to be jumped by a bunch of idiots, it happened about once a week.  What was new was the solid object that was pressed to the back of my head.  I heard the soft click and felt a sharp chill run through my body.  I had come face to face with knives, bats, and even a crowbar once or twice, but never a gun.

“Well, shit,” I muttered quietly.

“Boss is gonna pay us good for bringing you to him,” one of the guys in front of me said with a crooked grin.

I could feel the gun being pressed harder against the back of my head.  One of the things I started to learn from my interactions was the difference between thugs and gangs.  Thugs were just random morons who were out stealing or abusing people for their own personal enjoyment.  Gangs were the real deal.  They were out for a reason.  One gang in particular I always found myself face to face with had no name but every member had a tattoo of spider webbing on their necks, just like the three guys surrounding me.  The one who spoke looked strangely familiar.  I think I had fought him a few times.  What a small world.

“I doubt I’ll be much fun for him, in all honesty,” I replied. “I’m not feeling very welcoming today.”

“Move or I’ll put a bullet through your head,” the gang member holding the gun to my head behind me growled.

“Well, that’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?” I asked and chuckled lightly when I was shoved forward roughly.

“We don’t need you alive.  If your ass is off the streets, that’s all the boss cares about,” the first member explained. “You’ve been a thorn in his side for months.  He wants you gone for good.”

“I don’t know why.  I’m a fucking treat,” I replied jokingly with a wide smile.

“Can we just kill him already?” the gang member who had been staying quiet asked in a low growling voice.

I turned my head slightly. “You can try.”

The gun fired next to my ear as I moved.  The ringing was loud and painful, but I had to push through it.  I took a step back to grab the arm of the gang member holding the gun and used all of my upper body strength to throw the man over me.  His body slammed against the ground with a harsh thud and his arm snapped loudly as I twisted it painfully in a direction it wasn’t meant to twist.  With him out of the way I could easily take the gun from his hand and aimed it at the two other members.  The weight felt strange in my hand.  I had to tighten my grip around it to stop my hand from shaking.  It didn’t feel right.

“You’re not gonna shoot us.”

I grounded my teeth together.  I knew with my finger on the trigger that he was right, and I couldn’t hide it. “No, I’m not,” I replied and took my finger away from the trigger, “but that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna beat the shit out of you.”

Using the weight of the gun gave me more momentum and power in my punches.  The blows were hard and somewhat painful.  When I was finished knocking them both unconscious on the ground, I stood with my shaking hand at my side.  I could feel my knuckle bleeding underneath my glove.  The small wounds stung from the sweat that formed on my skin.  The weight of the gun in my hand seemed to grow suddenly and I had to drop it.  It clattered against the ground and I could finally breathe properly.

I quickly spun my head around to look up.  Slow clapping echoed off the walls of the buildings.  Professor Chaos sat on the metal fire escape, his legs dangling over the edge as he leaned forward slightly gripping the bar underneath him.

“Chaos!” I shouted and watched as the grin slowly formed on his darkened face.

“You’ve been improving, Mysterion.  I’m impressed,” he explained and slowly began to move his legs to swing them like a child. “You’ve gone from a bumbling idiot to slightly better than average.”

“What the hell do you want from me, Chaos?” I crossed my arms over my chest to ask.

He tilted his head back slightly as he rocked it back and forth.  The light from the lamppost reached his face and it was the first time I could get a look at some of his features.  A small nose and plump lips.  Everything else was hidden behind his half mask and metal helmet.

“I’m not sure yet,” he answered after taking a moment to think and tilted his head back forward to let the shadows take over his face again. “We’ll have to see what happens,” he said and tiny bolts of electricity danced around his fingers.  My eyebrows furrowed together as my eyes shifted down to look at the tiny sparks. “You’re a curious creature, Mysterion,” Chaos said and snapped me from my shameless staring.  “Not once have you asked about my abilities or seemed at all fazed by them.  Most people would have ran, but not you,” he explained and he had a point.  I didn’t even try to act surprised by it.  For some reason it all just seemed right. “But then again, you’ve got one too, don’t you?” My heart froze in my chest.   _How the fuck did he know?_ “I can feel the power radiating off you, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what it is that you have.  Whether you’re afraid to use it, afraid to show me, or you haven’t figured it out yourself, I can’t figure it out.”

“I don’t—,” I started to say but felt my voice waver in my throat a bit.  I swallowed down the lump of nerves. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Professor Chaos sighed loudly. “Don’t play dumb, Mysterion, you’re not good at it,” he said and spun around to throw his legs over the railing. “Don’t worry, someday you’ll have no choice.  I’ll find out your secret.”

“Chaos,” I snapped as he climbed the stairs of the fire escape.

“I was planning on having some fun tonight but I think we can wait for another night,” he said with a small wave of his hand.

My hands tightened into fists and I flinched at the pain of my gloves rubbing against my wounds on my knuckles. “Chaos!  Dammit!  Come back here!” I screamed.

“Until next time, Mysterion.  Good night,” he said, ignoring my shouts to disappear over the building with a rustle of his cape caught behind him by the strong wind.

“Son of a bitch,” I snapped. “Fucking psycho!”

“You’re one to talk,” the gang member with the broken arm groaned from the ground next to me.

“Oh, shut up,” I snapped back and crossed my arms over my chest.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

My feet slapped against the pavement in quick, heavy thuds underneath me.  The buildings and people blurred past me.  I wasn’t focused on anything except my destination and the burn in my legs.  At first it was painful and made me want to scream, but I grew to enjoy the burn.  It was like my adrenaline that coursed through my veins.  I was addicted to the feeling of—well—feeling.

My hand touched the wall of the coffeehouse and Stan’s hand was right there with me.  We were both panting but my breaths were much heavier.  I was getting used to the exercise, but Stan still had years of familiarity on me.  It was fucking annoying.

“Not quite there, Kenny,” Stan said and smacked my shoulder.

“I’m getting close,” I replied between heavy breaths with my hands on my sides as I leaned back slightly.

“I’ll believe that when you can say it without sounding like you’re gonna keel over,” Stan joked and stepped over to the door to swing it open.

It was our daily morning routine.  Stan would jostle me awake, I’d groggily get changed, we’d race each other down the stairs and out the door to the coffeehouse, and then we’d sit and talk with our coffees and sometimes breakfast for an hour.  We never felt bad about leaving Kyle behind because he was never awake before we got back.  I wasn’t a morning person, but he was the god damn devil in the mornings.  Seriously, he would bite anyone’s head off, no remorse.  It was terrifying.

“What do you want?” Stan asked as he stood at the counter looking up at the menu.

“Same as usual,” I answered.

Stan made a loud gagging sound and shook his head. “I don’t know how you can stand it.  It’s like drinking dirt,” he explained, his nose scrunched up in disgust.

“Blame Tweek, he’s the one who started me on it.  Plus, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth.  You know that,” I replied.

“Next!” the barista behind the counter called out.

“Just order my damn coffee,” I growled, my arms crossed over my chest as Stan stepped forward.

“What can I get you?” The barista asked.

“A large French vanilla latte and a large coffee.  Black.  With nothing in it.  Not a single grain of sugar or drop of cream,” Stan said, his voice flat with disdain.  I rolled my eyes dramatically.

The barista laughed as he punched the order into his till. “A straight black coffee?  That’s a lot of bitterness to handle,” he said with a small smile aimed towards me.  A genuine smile.  Thank fucking god.

“Well, I have to put up with his bitter ass so I’ve just adapted,” I explained, gesturing towards Stan.

Stan forced out a small laugh. “Nah, actually, he can’t consume too much sugar.  He’s already sweet enough so any more and he’ll just wash away in the rain,” he explained and I shot him a curious sideways glance.

The barista laughed.  He seemed genuinely amused by Stan’s joke but continued on with his job for a bit.  Stan handed the payment over the till and turned his head to wink at me. “Your names?” The barista asked.

Stan pointed to his own chest. “Stan,” he said and swung his arm to lightly smack my chest. “Kenny.”

The barista’s smile widened a bit. “Nice name,” he said towards me.

“Funny you should say that,” Stan said, his hands shoved into the pockets of his shorts, “because Adrian is his favourite name.”

I was confused for a moment before I looked at the name tag on the barista’s apron that was engraved with the name ADRIAN.  He blushed noticeably and I felt a tiny bit of pride inside me.

“Your drinks will be ready at the end,” Adrian explained as he gestured towards the end of the counter.

I followed Stan with my arms crossed over my chest as he kept his hands tucked into the pockets of his shorts.  We were quiet as we waited for our drinks and took a seat at a small bistro table by one of the large windows.  I set my drink down on the table and couldn’t help but grin at Stan as he took a small sip of his drink.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” He asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Did you just hit on him for me?” I asked teasingly.

Stan scowled. “What if I did?  What’s wrong with that?” He asked intensely.

I shook my head. “There’s nothing wrong with it.  I’m just a bit surprised.  I didn’t think you had that in you,” I teased him.

“Look just because I’m not gay or—,” he stopped and his eyebrows furrowed together in frustration.

I rolled my eyes. “Pansexual, Stan.  Like a pan flute,” I finished for him.

He nodded his head rapidly. “Right!  Okay, I knew that!  Just because I’m not that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to notice someone who is obviously attractive,” he explained and I grinned. “Plus, we all know I’m the best one at flirting.”

I leaned forward with my elbows on the table and my chin cradled in my palm. “If that’s the case then how has Kyle been laid more than both of us combined in the last year?” I asked partly teasingly but I was actually curious.  Kyle was a terrible flirter.  He was an awkward, introverted mess, but he had game apparently.

“Pity?” Stan said after a moment of thinking. “Like how you take in a stray pet because you feel bad for it?”

I nodded rapidly. “That must be it.”

Stan chuckled as he leaned forward slightly to wrap his hands around his cup.  I could see the thoughts rattling around in his mind.  He wasn’t even trying to hide the fact he was about to get real with me. “Kyle’s right.  You need someone in your life to help you move on, Kenny,” he said with such a real tone that I instantly felt my entire body sag with the weight of the stress. “You’ve been stuck in an emotional and romantic rut for so long, I think you forgot what it’s like to have actual feelings for someone.”

“I know what it’s like to have feelings,” I retaliated with furrowed eyebrows.

Stan exhaled sharply. “When was the last time you had a crush on someone?  Even just a small one.  Like, you see someone at the supermarket and they make your heart skip a beat or your throat go dry and you have troubles talking.  When was the last time you experienced that?” He asked intensely.

I hummed lightly and then snapped my fingers. “Wait, is that the same feeling as what I feel when you step out of the bathroom after a shower with only a towel wrapped around you?” I joked.

Stan rolled his eyes. “Come on, Kenny, I’m being serious here.”

“So am I.  I would never joke about you in a towel, Stanley,” I said with a teasing grin and winked.  Stan reached over to grab the small menu and smacked me on the top of the head with it before I could react. “Ouch!  Dammit Stan,” I whined and rubbed my head.

“You are impossible,” he mumbled and took a sip of his drink.

“Rude,” I grumbled and Stan glared at me from over his cup.  I stopped rubbing my head and let my hand slowly drop back onto the table.  I gently tapped my finger against the table and frowned. “I know what you and Kyle are trying to tell me, Stan,” I explained in a quiet voice.  I had to look away from Stan’s intense eyes.  I opted to staring down at my hands covered in bandages over my small wounds created from my fights as well as work.  I couldn’t tell you how exactly I got each of them, there were so many. “I know you guys are just trying to help but…I can’t just move on.”

“Kenny—,” Stan tried to say but I didn’t let him continue.

“It’s not that simple,” I said and the bell above the coffeehouse door rang loudly to echo through the room.  I looked up. “I feel like—,” I stopped when I saw the bright morning light hit the yellow hair of the customer standing at the counter.  My breath hitched in my throat and I had to swallow the lump that caught there.

I’m being haunted by ghosts.  I’m fucking cursed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit themightypookums.tumblr.com for original artwork by yours truly!


	4. Hello

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's really...him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> Enjoy!

“He’s cleaning up the city.  The streets have never been safer,” Spence explained.

I bit into my sandwich and waited for the response. “He’s a criminal.  I mean, you can’t just run around beating the crap out of people for the fun of it,” David replied sternly.  _Yeah, cause its so much damn fun to be beat up and thrown off rooftops._ “No one is above the law.  Even if you think you’re doing good for the city.”

“So, you’re saying that we should just let the police continue to be useless and let the criminals own our streets?” Spence asked and his eyebrows were furrowed together in frustration at the conversation.

David sighed loudly and shoved a spoonful of stew into his mouth. “Look, I’m not saying that we should let the bad guys take over and rule the city, but we can’t let some comic book loving nerd with a vivid imagination rule it either.” _Ouch, damn David._ “The kid is gonna get himself killed and then where will we be?”

“He’s kept quiet.  He sticks to the dark and only helps.  He’s never asked for anything in return.  He’s just here to help,” Spence explained passionately.

“Maybe he is a she,” I finally spoke up from my seat on the stool.

We were having our lunch in the office and somehow had steered the conversation to Mysterion.  I stayed quiet and listened to the two men bicker with each other as I munched on my sandwich.  It was entertaining, like dinner and a show.  But they were starting to get a bit too real for my taste.

“It’s never been verified that they’re male or female,” I added and took another bite of my sandwich.

David and Spence gave me the same confused look. “Maybe the vigilante is our very own Kenny McCormick,” David said with a crooked grin.  My heart slammed itself against my rib cage and I almost choked on my sandwich.  I had to fight to play it off as a coughing fit.

“Nah, he’s too short to be our masked hero,” Spence answered with a small grin.  It was the best he could ever muster up to show anything other than general disdain for the world.

“And quite thin.  Not much muscle,” David added.  Spence hummed in agreement as he slowly nodded. “Plus, an overall terrible personality.”

“You guys are mean,” I mumbled and nibbled at my sandwich.

David laughed and reached his foot out to gently tap my knee with the toe of his boot.  The office door swung open with a loud groan and Mr. Bagley stepped into the room. “Boys, put down your food for a moment and come with me,” he ordered in a flat tone before he turned to exit, leaving the door swung open.

David and I looked over at Spence with wide eyes.  Spence sighed loudly, set his food down, and pushed himself up onto his feet. “Come on,” he grumbled and patted my shoulder.

Mr. Bagley had an energy about him.  It was easy to read when he was happy or frustrated or worried.  In that moment when he opened the door to the office, he was unreadable.  It felt like he was intentionally hiding his emotion, which meant whatever he wanted us for was probably not good.  I followed behind David and Spence as we exited the office.  Whatever was happening, I didn’t want to be the first one in the line of fire.  We were heading towards the back corner of the garage to a section I was familiar with.  It was a rarely used section except for the Camaro I had been working on for the past few weeks.  I stopped moving first.  David and Spence stood to the side and Mr. Bagley stood in front of the vehicle with his arms crossed over his chest.

“What’s up?” I asked curiously as everyone stared at me.  There was something weird going on.  I could sense it from the smug expressions on David and Spence’s faces.  Mr. Bagley was still unreadable as he uncrossed his arms to hold up the key that reflected the lights above us. “Mr. Bagley, what’s going on?”

“It’s time to wake her up,” Mr. Bagley said with a soft smile.

My confusion only deepened. “It’s not going to turn over,” I replied dryly.  I had worked for weeks on the car when I suddenly hit a wall with it.  In order to get the car to turn on I needed a part that was too expensive for me, so it sat untouched for at least a week as I sulked.

“Think of this as a bonus for doing such wonderful work around here,” Mr. Bagley explained as he stepped towards me. “Go see your new toy.”

I quickly took the key from the man and bounced over to the car.  It still looked ragged.  We had fixed the damage to the front but hadn’t painted over the sanded markings.  All in all, the car looked good, but it wasn’t quite finished, not until I slid the key into the ignition and turned.  The engine struggled for a moment but then it roared to life and my lips stretched into such a wide smile I was pretty sure my face was going to break.

“Is it everything you dreamed it’d be?” Mr. Bagley asked as he leaned into the car slightly through the rolled down window with his arms crossed on the door.

“Everything and more,” I answered and turned to look over at him. “I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

“You repay me by working your butt off, alright?” He replied and reached in to pat my shoulder before giving it a small squeeze. “Everyone deserves a second chance.  Make sure hers is a good one, Kenny.”

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

September came quickly and with a bitter cold to the air that was a bit early but not uncommon for Colorado.  Kyle and Stan were back in school which was a bit easier with my car on the road and functional.  I didn’t have to listen to Kyle complain about the bus anymore because I was his personal chauffeur between school and work and home.  It gave me something to do when I wasn’t at work or running around rooftops in the middle of the night.

 **KB:** Come to the campus.  It’s stir fry day in the cafeteria.  
**SM:** and you need to get outta the house, stop sulking.

I sighed as I stared at the messages on my phone.  I was still dressed in baggy sweatpants and hadn’t moved from in front of the television all day except to use the bathroom or get food.  It was my day off from work and I didn’t particularly feel like doing anything.  The night before was rough.  I had encountered Professor Chaos again and it did not end well.  I ended up battered and bruised and too sore to move because of a careless move I made.  Stan had to find me and practically carried me home through the dark alleys.  He and Kyle snuck me into the apartment building and everything from beyond the emergency exit door was a dark haze.  I normally didn’t let my encounters with Chaos bother me but there was something stuck in my head that he said.

 _“What is your weakness, Mysterion?”_ He asked with a teasing tone as he circled around me slowly. _“Every hero has a weakness.  So, what are you afraid of?  What keeps you awake at night?”_

 **SM:** please Kenny, get out of the damn house…

I could hear his begging tone through the message in my phone.  I groaned as I pushed myself up and to the bedroom to change.  I wanted to sulk but at the same time, I didn’t want to waste my day.  They were right, I needed to get out of the house.  Dwelling on my encounter with Chaos wasn’t doing any good for anyone.  The campus was lively with students.  The quad was quiet but inside the halls were packed with people.  The cafeteria wasn’t much different.  I found Kyle and Stan in the cafeteria near the back corner.  The far wall was entirely windows from floor to ceiling that looked out onto the quad outside.  The bright sunlight poured through the glass and lit up the entire room, lighting Kyle’s red hair on fire as he sat tapping his pencil against his textbook.  Stan was on his phone with his books open in front of him.  He was never one for studying or doing his work, but Kyle always kept him on track.

“What’s up, nerds?” I greeted them as I approached the table to sit at the empty chair between them with my back to the large windows.

“Ah, you’re alive!” Kyle exclaimed loudly.  I rolled my eyes. “You wouldn’t even get out of bed this morning.  I thought you finally died.”

“Shut up, Broflovski,” I growled as I sunk back into my chair. “Like you’re any better in the mornings, you fucking vampire.”

“Man, someone’s in a bitter mood.  Chaos must have really done some damage last night.  You didn’t even come to talk to us last night when you got home,” Stan explained as he leaned forward and set his phone down on top of his notebook.

“I was promised stir fry, not idle conversation,” I explained in a flat tone.

“The idle conversation is a prerequisite to get the stir fry,” Kyle replied.  He set his pencil down once he finished the equation he was working on.  I caught a quick glance of his work and felt nauseous just looking at it.  So many numbers and letters and symbols, it made my head spin.  It made no sense to me at all. “So, what happened last night?”

I shrugged my shoulders up to my ears and turned my head to look away. “Nothing in particular,” I answered dryly.

Kyle sighed loudly as he rolled his eyes. “Fine, be a stick in the mud,” he answered.

His chair scraped against the floor as he stood.  I looked up and my eyes immediately went over Kyle’s shoulder.  I quickly sat up as I reached my foot out to kick Stan who was looking down at his book.  He quickly looked up at me with furrowed eyebrows.  I gestured so he followed my gaze and we both were looking over Kyle as he turned.  He froze in place when he was face to face with a familiar brunet whose body went instantly rigid.

“Ah, hi,” was his immediate greeting.

“Hi,” Kyle replied in such a small voice I almost didn’t catch it.

Stan’s chair creaked quietly as he leaned over towards me. “Isn’t that—?” he started to ask.

I nodded rapidly. “Uh huh,” I answered quietly.

The brunet cleared his throat loudly and lifted his hand to rub the back of his neck.  He was nervous and it was noticeable.  Kyle was too.  I could see it in the tension in his shoulders and his fingers fidgeted at his sides.

“Can we talk for a minute?” the brunet asked nervously.  Kyle swallowed hard.  He nodded but didn’t say anything. “I wanted to apologize for rushing out the way I did.  I wasn’t trying to—you know.”

Kyle shook his head. “It’s alright, it’s not like either of us were in a good position at that time,” he explained and I quickly stifled my small chuckle to make it into a small cough.  Stan kicked my leg.  Kyle and the brunet both looked over at us as we tried to gather our composure. “Don’t mind them—,” Kyle turned back to say. “Uh, I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”

The brunet smiled. “That doesn’t surprise me.  You were pretty drunk by the time introductions were made at the bar,” he explained and held his hand out towards a blushing Kyle. “My name is Alex.”

Kyle smiled.  I had to lean slightly to catch more of it.  It was so full of light it was almost blinding.  He reached his hand out to grab Alex’s and they slowly shook. “I’m—,” he started to say.

“Kyle,” Alex interrupted. “Trust me, I wasn’t going to forget that.” I know my eyes widened and I turned my head slightly to look at Stan who looked equally as surprised as me.  Even after they stopped shaking hands, they held on for a little longer than they should have before they let go.  Alex cleared his throat loudly as he shoved his hand into the pocket of his jeans.

“So, why did you run out?” I couldn’t help but speak up to ask.

Alex chuckled and slowly shook his head. “I was late for work.  My boss is pretty particular about tardiness,” he explained to me and scoffed. “It was stupid, but I wasn’t thinking properly.  I’m sorry.”

Kyle crossed his arms in front of him and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s alright,” he said.  His voice was flat and his smile had faded. “There’s nothing to apologize for.”

Alex inhaled sharply.  His mouth opened as if he was going to say something but he stopped when someone shouted from across the cafeteria. “Al!  Come on man, we’ve got to get to class,” the voice shouted.

Alex turned to shout back. “Give me a minute!”

“You should go,” Kyle said and tilted his head slightly.

Alex turned back to face him and then faced the table.  His eyes quickly scanned the surface and then he reached out to pick up the pen in front of Stan. “Hand,” he ordered Kyle with his hand raised, his palm turned upwards.  Kyle’s eyebrows narrowed together in confusion but he lifted his hand to offer it.  Palms touched and Alex held onto Kyle’s wrist as he wrote on the back of his hand with the pen.  There was something oddly intimate about the interaction between them and I felt like I shouldn’t have been there imposing on it. “Call me or text me.  Whatever you prefer,” Alex said with a small smile.  Kyle nodded slowly.

Stan and I gently bumped fists without having to look at each other.  The brunet left the pen in Kyle’s hand as he turned and quickly jogged off to meet up with the small group waiting by the exit for him.  Kyle was a statue.

“Kyle and Alex sitting in a tree,” Stan started to sing slowly and Kyle’s head quickly whipped around to glare at him. “F-U-C-K-I-N-G.”

“Shut up, Stan,” Kyle growled.

The smile that formed on Stan’s face was wide and full of amusement. “First comes love, then comes banging,” he continued to sing happily.

“I will kick your ass, Stan,” Kyle snapped.

“Then comes awkward sexual tension!” Stan ended and Kyle picked up an eraser to throw it at his friend.

I rolled my eyes as Stan continued to erupt in heavy laughter.  I turned my head to look over at Kyle, to see his unamused expression, but stopped when something caught my eyes.  Gold.  _Not again._   My ghost, it was always—.

I quickly stood, toppling the chair over behind me.  Kyle and Stan looked over at me with confusion. “Kenny?” Stan said.

“It can’t be,” I whispered quietly under my breath.

“Kenny, what’s wrong?” Kyle asked as he reached out to squeeze my shoulder.

The gold hair was just outside the cafeteria standing in front of a girl.  They stood at an angle to where I was.  I couldn’t see everything, probably not even enough for me to be sure, but I felt it deep in my chest.  It sent my heart into a frenzy.  They nodded and started to move out of my view.

“Ken—?” Kyle started to say again but I quickly moved from his reach to bolt around the table.

“I—I’ll be right back,” I said as I raced between the tables and vaulted myself over the railing that ran along the outside of the area of tables.  I landed beside two girls who jumped away quickly as I ran past them.  I almost ran into the crowd of students that turned into the cafeteria but narrowly missed them.  Thanks to Stan and our morning runs, I was getting quicker on my feet and I also had great balance.  I stopped in the middle of the hallway to look around.  It was still full of students but the crowd had thinned out slightly.  I was frantically looking through the sea of bodies when I spotted the yellow hair bobbing through the crowd.  I rushed down the hall but couldn’t catch up before they disappeared into the elevator and the doors shut.  I slammed against the metal doors and hit my fist against them. “Shit,” I swore in a sharp hiss.  I wasn’t going to let that be it though.  The stairwell door creaked open when I pushed through and I took the steps two at a time.  The elevator passed by the second floor and to the third.  I flew out of the stairwell, out of breath, and quickly spun around.  The hallway was empty except for one person.  I could hear my heart in my ears.  I could feel it in my throat.  My hands shook.  My mouth opened.  I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get any words past the block in my throat, not until my voice shot from my mouth like a bullet. “Butters!”

They stopped.  Shoulders tensed.  They turned and it felt like I was suddenly being pulled out of water.  He looked the same but just older and his complexion was a bit darker.  He didn’t look nearly as pale and sickly anymore.  His hair was still yellow like the sun with an undercut.  He had soft features, but he looked weathered, like time was catching up to him already.  I always remembered him flawless and perfect, except for the scar beside his left eye.  The scar I made when we were kids and we stupidly bought those damn weapons.  I never meant to hurt him.  It was a mistake.  I couldn’t apologize to him enough after but he was always so innocent about it.  It was him.  He was there in front of me in a dark green cardigan while holding a large notebook with his name written on the front.  His baby blue eyes, bright and innocent, stared at me wide and full of shock.

It was him.

“It’s really you,” I said mindlessly.  I couldn’t think of anything except him.  I was fighting hard to figure out if it was real or if I was unconscious and just dreaming.  _Is my ghost now haunting my dreams?_

“Kenny,” he said and his wide-eyed expression shifted.  He smiled.  His smile.  _Fuck, I missed that smile._ “Wow!  You got tall.”

_What the hell is happening?_

“I didn’t think I’d see you here,” he explained.  _Please, be real._ “It’s so good to—.” He stopped with a small grunt.  His book clattered against the floor.  I didn’t realize I had been moving until I was standing in front of him, my arms wrapped around his upper torso in a tight embrace.  _Holy shit, he’s real.  He’s actually here._   He laughed and his hands gently patted my back. “Ya alright there, Kenny?”

Reality came crashing back to me.  I let go of him and took a large step back. “Yeah, sorry, I just—I guess I was a little caught off guard.  You’re here.”

Butters smiled and nodded. “I am.  You’re here too.”

I nodded rapidly. “And Kyle and Stan too,” I said and quickly reached out to grab Butters’ arm. “You need to come see them.  They’re gonna be thrilled to see you.”

I was grinning like an idiot, I know, but I couldn’t help it.  Butters hummed as he rocked his head back and forth. “Well, I was gonna go sit in a lab all by myself, but I guess hanging out with you fellas sounds a lot more fun.”

_God, I missed you._

“You’re damn right it sounds more fun,” I said and let go of his arm to crouch down and pick up the large book to hand it back to him. “Come on, they’re downstairs.”

Butters nodded and followed me.  I was jittery the entire walk.  I wanted to ask him a million questions but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.  The lump was still in my throat and every memory and feeling was rushing back to me.  I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.  We entered the cafeteria.  Kyle was alone at the table.  He was staring down at his work again as he tapped his pencil against his open book.  Butters shortened his stride a bit beside me as we approached the table.  I stopped and Kyle let out a sharp sigh.

“Next time you decide to run off like that, I’m gonna—,” Kyle started to say but stopped dead when he turned his head and noticed Butters.  His eyes slowly widened and his entire demeanour shifted. “Butters?”

“Hiya Kyle,” Butters responded cheerfully.

“What—What are you doing here?” Kyle asked and he sounded far more shocked than relieved.  I knew the reason all too well as to why he wasn’t completely happy to see Butters standing next to me.

“Holy shit, Butters, is that really you?” Stan’s voice suddenly asked from behind us.  Butters and I turned as Stan set down the tray of food and then quickly stepped forward to wrap his arms around the shorter blonde in a happy embrace. “Holy shit, dude, how are you?”

“I’m good,” Butters answered and hugged Stan back before they pulled away from each other.

Stan slowly shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re actually here,” he said in disbelief. “Sit down, tell us everything.”

We all sat around the table.  Stan set a freshly made stir fry in front of Kyle and then placed one in front of himself.  I wasn’t feeling particularly hungry anymore as I sat across the table from Butters.  Too many thoughts were rattling around in my head.  It felt like I was on a rollercoaster and couldn’t get off.  _It’s really him._

“So?” Stan pressed.  Butters turned his attention from the brief eye contact me and him made to our raven-haired friend. “When did you get back?”

Butter smiled. “A few months ago, actually,” he answered sheepishly.

“What?” Stan snapped. “You’ve been back a few months and you didn’t reach out to any of us?”

“Oh, well, I was in South Park for a bit with my folks.  I didn’t move here until shortly after spending time there and, you see, I lost my phone somewhere between Egypt and Spain and I don’t have either of your numbers memorized,” Butters explained as he rubbed his knuckles together nervously in front of him.  _Fuck._ “I’m real sorry, fellas.”

“It’s alright, Butters,” Kyle finally spoke up.  His frustration seemed to have died down for the most part. “It’s just a bit of a shock.  I mean, you left for a year and just suddenly show up out of the blue.”

Butters nodded. “You’re telling me!” he said and chuckled. “I wasn’t expecting to see you guys.  I thought ya’ll were planning on going a lot further than Denver.”

Stan shrugged his shoulders. “Last minute change of plans.  Kyle is very indecisive,” he explained and grinned at Kyle from across the table.  The red head rolled his eyes.

“Well, I’m glad or else I wouldn’t have met up with you guys now,” Butters said and his smile was wide across his face.

I had so many questions.  I wanted to ask them all but I didn’t know where to start so naturally, I just opened my mouth and let it decide what came out first. “Where did you go?” I asked.

“Well, I started in Japan, and then China.  Then Germany, Russia, India, Egypt, Spain, Italy, France, England, and then I came home,” Butters explained and ran his finger along the edge of his book.

“Wow,” Stan said and pushed around his food a bit. “You did all of that in a year?”

Butters nodded. “Yeah, it was fun, but I’m glad to be back here,” he said and our eyes locked again. “I missed home.”

I swallowed to try to force down the lump sitting just above my Adam’s apple. “I’m kind of jealous,” Stan said with a sigh. “I wish I had gone travelling for a year.  Being here is so boring.”

“No one’s stopping you from leaving now.  It might be quiet around here for a change,” Kyle joked with a wide smile that made Stan flip him off.  Kyle replied with his own raised middle finger.

Butters laughed. “You guys haven’t changed.  That’s good,” he said happily and rubbed his palms together. “I’m glad you fellas haven’t changed.  I was worried after I left that you would have gone your separate ways.”

Kyle scoffed. “Nah, these guys wouldn’t know what to do without me,” he said and Stan and I gave him the same glaring look as we flipped him off.

“Are you really studying Physics, Kyle?” Butters asked.  Kyle nodded so Butters turned his attention to Stan. “What about you Stan?  I know you weren’t sure about your major yet.”

_It’s like nothing has changed._

“I finally landed on Marketing.  Kyle had enough of my indecisiveness and made me choose with my eyes closed,” Stan answered and Butter laughed lightly.

“What’s sad is that he’s not joking when he says that,” I explained, my arms crossed in front of me on top of the table.  My stomach was still in knots but I was starting to relax.  _Nothing has changed._

“Not even a little bit,” Stan added and shoveled some food into his mouth.

“Kenny?” Butters said and I looked across the table at him.  His bright blue eyes were staring at me so intensely, it made my chest tighten. “Your turn.”

I could feel Kyle and Stan’s eyes on me.  They were intense and waiting for my response.  I trusted them with my secret about being Mysterion.  I had the same level of trust with Butters.  Even though it had been a year since we had any interaction with him, every single feeling was still there.  They never went away, they just dulled with his absence.  Before he had left, the four of us were inseparable.  We had been that way for years.  I wish that had been enough to make me want to tell him, but it wasn’t.  I couldn’t tell him.  If I had my way, Kyle and Stan wouldn’t have known either, but I had no choice there.  With Butters, I could protect him from it.

“I—I work at a garage downtown.  Nothing fancy,” I explained with a small smile.

Butters’ widened. “Oh, that’s perfect for you, Kenny,” he replied.

“That’s not all he does,” Kyle spoke up.  My heart slammed against my ribcage as my head spun around to face him.  Butters tilted his head in curiosity.  The small grin that formed on Kyle’s face was devious. “Yep, he’s also our personal chauffeur since he got his new, fancy car.”

_Fuck you, Kyle._

“A car?  I’d love to see it sometime,” Butters beamed.

“I’m sure there will be lots of chances to see it,” Kyle explained and looked over at me.  He was the fucking devil and he knew it.

“Uh, so, Butters,” Stan said trying to turn the attention away from the tension between the red head and I. “Tell us about the places you visited.  You’ve got a year’s worth of stories to tell us.”

Kyle’s devious smile faded a bit and his expression suddenly shifted to a look of worry.  Words didn’t need to be spoken in order for me to know what it was that he was thinking.  Butters was distracted by Stan so I could mouth the words, “I’m fine” to Kyle without being noticed.  He didn’t seem convinced as we stared at each other for a moment before he let out a soft sigh and nodded.

Butters was telling a story of when he was in Germany…I think.  I wasn’t sure.  I wasn’t exactly paying attention to his words.  I was paying attention to his voice.  His lips.  His glowing blue eyes.  But I wasn’t paying attention to his story.

_“What do you mean you’re leaving?” Kyle asked and looked over at me.  My mouth was gaped open.  My eyes were wide.  My body was frozen in place._

_“How long are you going to be gone for?” Stan asked, his voice low._

_Butters shook his head slowly. “I—I don’t know,” he answered in a small voice._

_Kyle’s head whipped back around to face Butters. “Butters, you can’t—,” he started to say but I grabbed his arm to stop him.  He looked back at me._

_“When do you leave?” I asked, at least I was pretty sure I did._

_Butters frowned.  He couldn’t look at me. “Right after graduation,” he answered._

_Silence surrounded us for a moment before I let go of Kyle’s shaking arm to shove my hand into the pocket of my parka. “Well, I guess we better make the most of our last few days then,” I said with a wide, forced smile. “What do you guys want to do?”_

“Ah, sorry fellas, I’ve gotta get to class,” Butters said and I snapped out of my daze as he pushed himself up to his feet.  A good hour had passed since I pulled him into the cafeteria.  I didn’t even notice so much time had passed.

“Hang on,” Stan said as he picked up his phone to quickly tap on the screen. “Here.” He handed his phone to Butters and smiled. “Put your new number in.”

Butters followed the order and then handed the phone back to Stan. “Well, I’ll see you later,” he said as he picked up his book to hold it to his chest.

Uncomfortable silence filled the air around us as Butters left and exited the cafeteria.  Kyle’s hand slammed against the table and startled me.  I closed my eyes as I focused on settling my racing heart. “Are we really going to just sit here and pretend everything is alright?” he snapped.

“Kyle—,” Stan started to say in a lowered voice.

“No!  It’s not right.  Kenny, you can’t just—,” Kyle was shouting.

I opened my eyes. “Kyle, stop,” I snapped.

“Don’t you remember how much it hurt?  How much of a mess you were when he left?” Kyle snapped back at me.

“Kyle,” I sighed as I slowly stood up.

“You’re just gonna act like nothing happened?” Kyle grabbed my arm to ask in a low growl.

“I have to, Kyle,” I snapped back angrily as I forced my arm from his tight grip. “I have to because I—,” I stopped myself and exhaled heavily through my nose. “I know, Kyle, it’s just—I can’t help it.  He’s the one that got away.”

Kyle frowned deeply and sat back in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest. “He’s the one who left.  There’s a difference,” he muttered in a small voice.

I was too tired to argue with him any further.  I turned away without bothering to say anything else.  He had every right to be mad, but that didn’t stop me.  There was no stopping it.  My ghost was real.  No matter how much it hurt before, I immediately forgave him when I saw him.  When I saw his bright blue eyes.  When I saw his innocent smile.  When I heard his familiar southern drawl voice.  I melted and that was the end of Kenny McCormick.  That was the end of all my senses.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

**_LBS has accepted your invitation to your group conversation._ **

**SM:** Butters!  welcome to the party dude!  
**LBS:** I’ve never used this app before.  :/  
**KB:** We started to use it shortly after we moved in together.  It makes shopping easier when we all can’t go together.  
**LBS:**   0.0 You guys all live together?  
**SM:** i guess we failed to mention that…  
**KB:** Oops…  
**KB:** I just assumed you guessed that.  
**LBS:** Well, it’s not that surprising, but I didn’t think about it.  XP  
**LBS:** You fellas really are inseparable.  
**KB:** Well, Stan and I are.  Kenny’s just the third wheel.  
**SM:** speaking of, where is he?  
**KB:** He’s not at home.  
**SM:** i’m at school so…  
**LBS:** Should we be worried???  
**KB:** We should always be worried about Kenny.  
**SM:** it’s true. he doesnt even know how to do his own laundry.  
**KB:** And he’s a terrible cook.  
**LBS:** Really???  
**SM:** he blames it on being poor.  
**K²:** heard u guys talkin shit…  
**KB:** There he is!  
**SM:** HE LIVES!!!!  
**K²:** im at work u human pieces of garbage…  
**KB:** Oh, how vulgar.  In front of our new recruit too.  
**K²:** new recruit?  
**SM:** Butters finally joined the group dude.  
**LBS:** Sorry it took so long.  :/  I’ve been busy with projects.  
**KB:** No worries, dude!  
**KB:** I forgot to ask though, what are you taking?  
**SM:** ihefowj  
**SM:** sorry dropped my phone.  
**SM:** continue…  
**K²:** idiot  
**KB:** Butters?  Major?  
**SM:** lol, Major Butters.  
**LBS:** Sorry!  I’m taking Art.  
**KB:** I knew that was a sketchbook you were carrying around!  
**SM:** art?  that sounds hella more fun than marketing!  
**LBS:** Lots of people think its lame.  My parents weren’t happy when I told them.  :(  
**K²:** its not lame  
**K²:** uv always loved art and ur good at it  
**LBS:** Thanks Kenny.  :)  
**KB:** How sweet.  
**SM:** can someone kill me please?  
**SM:** class is brutal…  
**KB:** Kenny, help the poor moron out.  Put him out of his misery.  
**K²:** y do i have to do it?  ur the 1 doin nothin  
**K²:** or r u 2 busy textin alex?  
**SM:** oooooooooooooooooh?????  
**KB:** Shut up or I will kill you both with my tiny, bare hands…  
**SM:** bare hands or bear hands?? **  
LBS:** Uhh, who’s Alex?  
**SM:** Kyle’s boyfriend  
**K²:** kyles bf  
**LBS:** He is NOT my boyfriend, you idiots.  
**LBS:** We’ve talked a few times and gone out once.  We’re taking our time and taking things slow.  
**K²:** ah yes cause u dont want things 2 get awkward  
**K²:** its good u got the sex outta the way  
**KB:** KENNY!  
**SM:** ahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!  
**LBS:** Oh boy!  
**KB:** You are the absolute WORST!  
**K²:** probs but no regrets  
**SM:** ahahahahhaha, class is no longer boring!  
**K²:** job well done  
**K²:** gotta get back 2 my real job tho  
**SM:** awwwwwwwe  
**KB:** Don’t drop a car on yourself…  
**K²:** b nice darlin  
**LBS:** Ttyl Kenny.  :)  
**K²:** u 2 Buttercup

“Shit,” I swore quietly under my breath.  It was fucking reflex.  A nickname I used to tease Butters with and Kyle and Stan would tease me for using it.

**_SM has sent you a private message._ **

And there it was.

 **SM:** if you’re gonna fall that hard again.  
**SM:** make sure to keep your legs straight and your arms tucked in!  
**SM:** XD

I rolled my eyes as I set my phone to sleep and shoved it back into my pocket.  I was sitting outside on the stack of crates next to the door.  I inhaled slowly as I tilted my head back.  I had spent over a year telling myself it was just a stupid high school crush.  Nothing more than stupid teenage hormones taking over.  I mean, why else would I have been noticing Butters more and more in the change room without a shirt on or stared at him when he pinched his pens between his teeth while he wrote notes in class.  Just a stupid high school crush, and yet everything I had worked hard to build in last year came crumbling down within the last week since Butters was back.  I had to completely change my view.  I was just happy to have my friend back safe.  That’s all it was.  He was one of my closest friends and I was happy he was back and he hadn’t been kidnapped in a foreign country.

I groaned loudly as I lifted my hands to rub my eyes with my knuckles. “Cause that’s totally fucking believable.”

The door next to me creaked open.  I dropped my hands into my lap and turned my head to see Mr. Bagley leaning out of the building. “Kenny, there’s a customer dropping off his car.  Can you walk him through the paperwork and start on the inspection?”

I nodded and pushed myself off the crates. “Absolutely,” I replied with a wide smile.

I moved to pass by the older man but he put a strong hand on my shoulder to stop me.  He furrowed his bushy white eyebrows and his head tilted slightly to the side. “Are you alright, son?  You look tired,” he explained.

 _Damn, this man’s observant as all hell._   Even with my extracurricular activities at night I usually managed to get a few hours of sleep, but since Professor Chaos asked me that damn question and Butters came back, I couldn’t get myself to sleep for more than an hour or two.

I shook my head with a small smile. “I’m fine, I just need to drink more coffee,” I said.

Mr. Bagley nodded and let go of my shoulder so I could step back inside the garage.  The customer was a tall man with dark hair.  He kind of looked like an older version of Stan but his nose and jawline were much sharper.  His dark hair was slicked back and he wore a tailored suit that fit every muscle and curve in just the right way.  He stood next to his expensive BMW with his sunglasses at the tip of his nose and his phone out in front of him.

“Sir?” I called out.  The man turned his head away from his phone to look at me over his glasses.  He had dark eyes.  Bone chillingly dark eyes. “I’m Kenny, I’ll be helping you fill out your paperwork and I’ll be doing the inspection of your vehicle.”

“Look kid, just do whatever you need to do quickly.  I need to get out of here asap to get to a meeting,” the man said and turned his attention back to his phone. “Just tell me what to sign and when to pay.”

_Douche._

“Yes sir, follow me,” I said dryly and passed by him to lead him to the small waiting area where a tall counter with an old computer sat between the door and the open garage.  The man stood at the counter, his eyes glued on his phone, as I prepared everything.  I inspected his vehicle, marked off everything I needed to on the sign in sheet, and returned to the counter. “Alright, just initial at the top and sign at the bottom.”

The man turned his head finally.  I had the sheet of paper laid on the counter facing him as I held out a pen.  He seemed hesitant for a moment before he reached out to take the pen.  Our fingers brushed against each other briefly and I felt a sharp shock rush through my skin.  I quickly let go and backed my hand away as I cleared my throat loudly.  The man was still for a moment before he reached up to take off his sunglasses completely.  He was staring at me with thin eyebrows knitted together quizzically.  I quickly hid my hands behind the counter and gathered my composure.  Either he felt the shock too or he was staring at me because of my strange reaction.  Either way, it was weird.

“You said your name is Kenny?” the man asked and looked down at the paper to search for the spots to sign.

I cleared my throat again and nodded. “Yeah,” I answered.

“Well, Kenny,” he said as the pen scratched against the paper. “That is an expensive car so whatever you do,” he set the pen down to slide it and the paper back across the counter as he looked at me with cold eyes, “don’t fuck it up, alright?”

Goosebumps covered my spine and ran up my arms.  There was something off about him.  I nodded and quickly took the form along with the pen. “It’ll be in good hands, I promise,” I replied.

The man slid his sunglasses back on and spun around to stride out of the garage with his phone pressed to his ear.  My finger twitched.  The sharp shock left a lingering feeling under my skin that felt like an itch I needed to scratch.

“Did you finish with the BMW?” Mr. Bagley asked as he approached me from behind.

I quickly spun my head around and nodded. “Yeah, here’s the paperwork,” I said as I handed the sign in sheet to the man.

“Hopefully he didn’t give you too much trouble.  He was a…different clientele,” Mr. Bagley joked with a grin.

I smiled back at the man. “Nothing I couldn’t handle, sir,” I said and scratched at the spot that itched on my hand.

_What a strange fucking feeling._

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

I landed in the middle of the alleyway, my cape pooled around me as I crouched low in the shadows.  It was quiet except for the soft crackling of a fire nearby.  The glow from the fire in the alley caught my eye as I was walking along the rooftops of the industrial district during my usual patrol.  I kept close to the wall as I peaked around the corner.  The flaming barrel was set perfectly in the middle of the alleyway and there was no one in sight.

“That’s not suspicious at all,” I said quietly to myself.  I should have walked away but I was a fucking glutton for punishment.  I slowly stepped around the corner to approach the barrel and that’s when I noticed the side of the building lit up by the glow of the fire to reveal the posters plastered all over.  They were random posters but each one had a green question mark, like the one on the side of the hood of my cape, painted in the middle with the words _Who Is MYSTERION_ written beneath them.

“What the hell?” I whispered quietly.

“Do you like it?” Professor Chaos said and stepped from the shadows. “I decorated it myself.”

“I should have known this was just your way of drawing me where you want me,” I growled in response.

“Well, since you’re going through the trouble of masking your energy so well—,” he explained and my eyebrows furrowed together under my hood.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I snapped.

Chaos tilted his head slightly and then laughed as he gently shook his head. “You really have no clue, do you?  You have power, but you know absolutely nothing about it,” he said with a mocking tone that made my hands clench into fists. “Incredible.  Do you even know what it is that you’re capable of?  Or are you just out here because you’re an idiot with a death sentence?”

“That’s enough, Chaos,” I growled.

“You can’t control it.  How useful is that going to be when you get someone killed because of your incompetence?” Chaos asked, his arms crossed over his chest.  I could feel my blood boiling.  Anger welled up inside me.  Like he’s one to fucking talk about keeping people safe.

“I am warning you, Chaos.  Stop talking,” I snapped.

“Is that what you’re afraid of?  Failing?  Getting people killed?  Maybe you’re afraid of losing control.  Maybe you’re afraid that you’re the monster.”

My body moved on its own.  I was dashing across the space between us, my fist clenched at my side, ready to swing.  Chaos snapped his fingers.  The bolt of electricity that shot from his hand struck my shoulder.  It passed through my body but didn’t stop me.  Even under the mask I could see the shock on Chaos’ face.  I had him.  I pulled my arm back.  There was something driving my force forward, something I hadn’t felt before.  I swung and Chaos quickly scrambled out of the way.  I missed and my knuckled connected with the large dumpster nearby.  It should have hurt.  I should have felt the connection of my knuckles against the thick steel, but I didn’t.  Instead, the metal bent in as if I had struck a piece of paper.  I took a step back as I panted heavily.  I stared at the caved in metal and then down at my shaking hand.  Whatever the hell just happened, it wasn’t normal.

“Well, there’s a piece of the puzzle discovered,” Chaos said from behind me.

I quickly spun around and he was stepping back into the shadows.  His arms were crossed over his chest as if he were trying to hide his hands.  I took a step forward and he noticeably took a larger step back.

“I think that’s enough for tonight,” he explained.

“Enough of this game, Chaos!  Stop this!” I shouted angrily.

“Who said this was a game, Mysterion?  This is all very much real,” he explained and my eyebrows narrowed together in confusion.  There was a shift in his voice. “Keep your eyes open, Mysterion.  It will all make sense eventually.”

“Chaos!” I shouted and rushed forward as he turned away from me.  I reached out to grab his wrist and the same sharp shock I had felt before coursed through my hand.  I reeled back as I groaned in pain. “Dammit, what did—?” I started to ask as I looked up but Chaos was gone.  He managed to disappear while I was distracted by the stabbing pain that shot through my arm. “Shit,” I snapped.

“—enny?!” Kyle’s voice shouted through the crackling of my earpiece.

“Kyle?  What’s wrong?” I asked after I unmuted the device.

“I should be asking you that!” Kyle shouted.

“Stop yelling.  What the hell are you talking about?” I asked and walked back towards the barrel on fire.

“Didn’t you hear that noise?” Kyle asked loudly as I walked over to the wall to start ripping down the posters.

“What noise?” I pressed.

“It sounded like a scream but it was distorted and then there was just really loud feedback for a moment before everything went silent,” Kyle explained.

I tossed a few of the ripped down posters into the fire behind me. “I didn’t hear anything,” I replied.

“It was fucking weird.  I thought something happened to you,” Kyle said, his voice low.

I stopped with my hand raised and frowned.  _Could it have been the result of my connection with Chaos?_   I slowly moved my fingers.  They itched under my glove.   _What the hell is going on?_

“I’m fine,” I growled back. “Now get off the comm line unless you absolutely need to.”

I kicked my boots off into the corner. “They can’t be the same person.  That’s impossible,” I said as I paced back in forth in my room taking off pieces of my costume.  I finished tearing down the posters and immediately went home.  My mind was too unfocused after my interaction with Chaos. “Unless he’s a shapeshifter.” I stopped and lifted my head. “Holy shit is he a shapeshifter?” I whispered to myself and shook my head rapidly. “No, come on.  That’s absurd,” I said and rocked my head back and forth. “As absurd as being immortal though?”

I groaned loudly as I threw my head back and lifted my hands to push my mask off my face while simultaneously removing my hood.  I let him get to me.  I let him make me snap, but what the fuck was that power?  Was there more to what I was capable of than just being immortal?

I removed my cape and tossed it onto my bed. “I do heal pretty fast,” I muttered quietly to myself and grabbed my glove to remove it. “I’ve adapted to pain quickly.  Maybe that’s—,” I stopped when I removed my second glove and went wide eyed.  My hand was covered in blue pulsing veins from the tips of my fingers to my wrist. “What the hell?”

“Kenny?” Kyle said as he knocked on my door.  I quickly hid my hand behind my back as I spun around.  Kyle opened the door and tilted his head slightly. “You alright?  You seemed a little short on the walkie and you just disappeared in your room when you got home.”

_How absurd will it all sound to you, Kyle?  If I told you everything, would you listen and understand?  Or would you call me crazy?_

“Kenny,” Kyle said as he stepped into the room to place a surprisingly strong hand on my shoulder.  I flinched at the contact. “Talk to me man.  What’s going on?”

“I—,” I started to say but stopped myself.  I couldn’t tell him.  It was crazy.  I exhaled heavily through my nose and grinned. “I’m just tired.  It was a long night.”

Kyle removed his hand from my shoulder to shove it into the pocket of his pyjama pants. “Chaos again?” he asked, his eyebrow raised.

I rolled my eyes. “When is it not Chaos?” I replied.

Kyle chuckled lightly as he slowly shook his head. “You’ve got a point,” he said and his face twisted up.  I tilted my head slightly in curiosity. “Can I point out something that Stan and I have both noticed?”

“I don’t know if I want to hear this but go ahead,” I replied, my eyebrows furrowed together.

Kyle shifted his weight from foot to foot. “We don’t think Professor Chaos is really a bad guy,” he explained and my entire body tensed.

“Kyle—,” I growled.

“Hear me out here,” he interrupted with his hands up, his palms facing me. “It’s just something we’ve come to notice.  He never hurts anyone.  He never tries to unmask you or harm you.  He only ever seems to be doing the things that he’s doing to get a rise out of you.”

“He’s blown up a building, set fire to a car, and had vandalised half of Denver,” I snapped.

“Which is all illegal, but so is vigilantism,” Kyle replied sternly.  I opened my mouth to retaliate but the realization set it almost instantly. “If we’re gonna be completely honest here, he’s just as much a criminal as you are at this point in time.”

“I’m kind of offended right now,” I explained.

“Kenny, stay focused,” Kyle replied flatly. “I know you’ve got this rivalry thing formed, but I also think that you know deep down he’s not the bad guy.  I also think that you’re hiding something from us.  I don’t know what exactly, but I’m sure it has something to do with Chaos and the reason why this doesn’t come as more of a shock to you.”

_It’s annoying how much they care sometimes._

“You know something but you’re not telling us,” Kyle said and there was hurt in his tone.

I sighed loudly and slowly shook my head. “Kyle, if I knew something, you two would be the first to know.  It’s annoying to try and keep secrets from you,” I explained partly jokingly. “But, I hear what you’re saying.  It’s…confusing.  But I’m not about to turn my back to him.  He’s dangerous and could hurt someone at any moment.  I’m not about to let that happen because I’m careless.”

Kyle grinned. “No, I imagine you wouldn’t let that happen,” he said and shoved his hands into his pockets as he shrugged his shoulders up to his ears. “I’m just telling you what we think.  Something to keep in mind.” Kyle turned to step into the doorway and stopped.  He turned to look over his shoulder at me and smiled. “You’re not alone here, Kenny.”

I nodded slowly in understanding.  He shut the door behind him and I finally relaxed.  I moved my hand from behind my back where I had been hiding it and the small blue veins were gone.  The tingling sensation still danced along the skin but it no longer itched. “It will all make sense,” I muttered to myself. “What will make sense?” I turned to look out the large window across the room.  The view consisted of the rooftop of the building next to the apartment, the streetlights below, and the dim stars above that were dulled by the light pollution of the city. “This is impossible,” I groaned and threw myself onto my bed as I continued to groan long and low into the plush comforter on my bed. “None of this makes any sense.” I grabbed my pillow to cover my head with it and sighed loudly. “Maybe it’s all in my head.  Maybe I’m going crazy,” I muttered into the mattress with a muffled voice. “Who am I kidding?  I’m already crazy.”

**DING!**

I quickly lifted my head from under my pillow to look over at my phone on the small table next to my bed.  I struggled to reach out to grab the device and removed it from the table.

**DING!**

I held my phone up to my face as I opened the message.

**DING!**

**SM:** KENNY!  
**SM:** 911 DUDE!  
**SM:** meet me downtown at the Vault and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD HURRY!!!!

“This night just won’t end,” I groaned.

I rushed to change out of the rest of my costume.  I didn’t bother to hide it before I barrelled out of my room.  Kyle was standing in the kitchen waiting for his popcorn to finish popping in the microwave.  I startled him as I came crashing out of my room to run for the door.

“Where’s the fire?” he asked through the window between the kitchen and the living room.

“Stan’s in trouble,” I answered quickly as I struggled to put on my shoes.

“What?” Kyle snapped and flew out of the kitchen. “What the hell do you mean?”

“He messaged me.  Something’s wrong,” I explained in a panicked voice. “I’m gonna go get him.”

“I’m coming with you,” he said as he took a step forward but I quickly spun around with my hand out towards him.

“No,” I snapped. “Stay here.  Whatever is going on, I won’t be as effective if you’re there for me to worry about.”

Kyle frowned but didn’t protest.  I quickly grabbed my keys and ran out the door, slamming it shut behind me.  I wasn’t sure how I arrived at the Vault, but I was suddenly braking hard to stop next to the sidewalk and flying out of the driver’s seat.  Something was happening inside the club.  People were leaving upset and irritated and the bouncer was struggling to keep the line of curious people back.

“No one is getting inside!” the bouncer yelled.  I dashed across the street and the sidewalk to dodge around the bouncer and inside the club. “Hey!  Get back here, you son of a bitch!” he yelled after me but I didn’t stop.

I ran through the doors to the main room of the club and stopped.  The commotion was coming from a rather large group of brawlers in the middle of the dancefloor.  I struggled to see through the mess of bodies until I spotted the familiar mop of black hair.  Stan was being pinned against the floor by a large bald man covered in tattoos.  The man’s hands were wrapped around Stan’s neck as my friend struggled to be released.  I pushed through the thick crowd of onlookers to get to the middle.  I headed directly for the man on top of Stan to slam against him.  Stan inhaled a loud gasp of air when the hands were removed from his throat.  He coughed loudly.  I was on top of the bald man and my fist connected.

**CRACK!**

Another blow.

**SNAP!**

_“Maybe you’re afraid of losing control.”_

“Kenny!” Stan shouted and arms wrapped around me to pull me back.

“Let go of me!” I screamed back as I thrashed against the hold.

“Kenny, please!” Stan struggled behind me.

A loud whistle pierced the air.  Everyone scattered as the uniformed officers rushed inside.   _Just fucking great._   It was a haze of bodies as the brawlers were grabbed by the officers.  The ones who fought were cuffed but the ones who cooperated were taken outside to the mess of cop cars and ambulances.  Stan and I were one of the ones who cooperated.  We sat on the back of the ambulance as the paramedic checked the dark marks that had already started to form on his neck.

“Can you breathe alright?” the paramedic asked as he pressed against the wounds.

Stan nodded. “Yeah, I’m good,” he replied and his face contorted at the pain.

“Did you hear anything pop or crack when he had you?” The paramedic moved his hands away.

Stan shook his head. “No,” he answered.

The paramedic nodded. “Alright, I don’t think any permanent damage has been done.  I do suggest that you go to the hospital just in case, but I doubt you really need to unless you start to have troubles breathing or start coughing up blood.”

Stan shook his head again. “I’m fine.  Thanks.”

“Alright.  Stay here, the cops will want to talk to you two before you leave,” the man said and left.

Stan lifted his hand and gently pressed his fingers against his neck. “Thanks, Kenny,” he said hoarsely.

“If I had known this was going to happen I would have left your ass,” I joked with a smile.

Stan struggled to chuckle. “Good thing you didn’t or else I’d probably be dead right now,” he explained.

“I hope there’s a good explanation to what the hell just happened,” I said, my eyebrows furrowed together.

“So do I,” a familiar female voice said.  My eyes widened as my head quickly whipped around to see the police officer approach us.  She had her arms crossed over her chest and her long, brown hair was still tied up into a high ponytail.  _Well, shit._ “I’m Officer Remis,” the woman introduced herself as she reached her hand out towards Stan.  They shook hands and then she turned her attention to me.  I was hesitant.  I slowly reached my hand out to shake and let out a small breath of relaxation.  I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but I was just damn happy nothing happened. “Can you boys tell me what happened?”

“I can,” Stan croaked. “A group of guys started making trouble on the dancefloor.  They were grabbing girls, pushing guys, and one even pulled a knife.  I’m not sure who threw the first punch but it got out of hand quickly.  We were just trying to get them to stop and back off.”

“You guys do realize that you fought a well-known gang group, right?” Officer Remis explained with a lifted eyebrow.  I think she was impressed. “One of the gang members is even going to the hospital.  Someone beat the living shit out of him.” She stopped to turn her eyes to me. “Come to think of it, you kind of fit the description witnesses gave of who did it to him.” I didn’t respond and turned my gaze away.  The officer shifted and moved so she was standing in front of me.  I looked up through my eyelashes as she leaned in towards me. “I’ve got to say, you look extremely familiar.”

My heart leapt up into my throat.  I quickly swallowed it down. “Can’t say I’ve ever met you before, officer,” I replied with my voice as steady as I possibly could make it.

The woman hummed lightly and leaned back. “Must be my imagination,” she said and uncrossed her arms to place her hands on her hips. “Can you testify to your friend’s statement?”

“He can’t,” Stan spoke up and Officer Remis looked over at him without turning her head. “I texted him when the gang started getting rowdy.  He didn’t arrive until shortly before you guys did.”

“Why did you text him?” the woman asked, her finely waxed eyebrows furrowed together curiously.

“He’s the one with the car.  I didn’t expect to get in a fight.  I just wanted a lift home,” Stan explained.

The officer was silent as she let all the information work through her brain.  I wasn’t sure why but I was nervous.  Stan hadn’t lied and I had barely said anything, but she obviously recognized me.  I wasn’t sure how, but she was close to figuring it out.  One good thought and she could drag me in to jail by my hair, lock me up and throw away the key.

“Well,” the officer started and my shoulders tensed, “your story is lining up with all the other stories I’ve heard so far.  Since that’s the case, you guys are good to go.  You can breathe now,” she explained and smiled.  It was such a bright smile, I almost felt guilty for fearing her. “I thank you boys for being as brave as you were but next time, don’t pick a fight with a group of people who will literally kill you without batting an eye, okay?”

Stan nodded with a small chuckle. “Yes ma’am,” he replied.

“Alright, get out of here.  See a doctor for that,” the officer said as she tapped her finger against her own neck.  Stan stood first and I was immediately on my feet after him.  I moved to take a step but the officer didn’t move.  She tilted her head slightly and our eyes locked. “It was nice to meet you—.”

She was holding her hand out towards me and waiting for me to finish.  The nerves were back. “Kenny,” I answered as I took her hand to shake it again. “Kenny McCormick.”

Officer Remis smiled again. “Good work, Kenny,” she said and gave my hand a tight squeeze before she let it go.

I led Stan across the street to the car and we both climbed inside with a heavy sigh each. “Kenny,” Stan said next to me as I griped onto the wheel tightly. “Kenny, what the hell happened in there?” he asked with a worried tone. “Dude, you looked like you were going to kill that guy.  If I hadn’t stopped you—.”

“I wasn’t going to kill him, Stan,” I snapped and exhaled sharply. “I’m in control.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t,” Stan snapped back.  I closed my eyes as I tightened my grip around the steering wheel. “Kenny, should I be worried about something?”

_“Maybe you’re afraid that you’re the monster.”_

“No,” I answered and opened my eyes to turn to look over at Stan.  His grey eyes were full of worry and stress.  His shoulders were tense. “Don’t be worried, Stan.  Everything’s fine.”

A small part of me wished I actually believed that.  I wanted to believe that everything was fine.  That I was fine, but I wasn’t.  Something was happening.  Something foreign to me and I had no one to turn to.  There was no one to talk to who wouldn’t look at me like I was a lunatic.  I was alone.  I was standing in a room full of people but I was completely and utterly alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit themightypookums.tumblr.com for original artwork by yours truly!


	5. Limit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's like nothing has changed and yet, at the same time, everything has changed. I've changed. I can't explain it. At first it was all just innocent. I wanted to help people, but I never thought it would escalate to where it is now. Energy. Abilities. Immortality. Electricity formed from nothing. It's goddamn crazy. It's all...
> 
> I'm crazy...
> 
> I'm going...crazy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> Enjoy!

“I don’t get what you’re so upset about,” Kyle said flatly.  He didn’t take his attention away from his computer as he worked on his homework.  The screen reflected in his bright green eyes.  I could see him switching back and forth from a word document to an article in the reflection. “You should be happy.”

I hummed and turned my head to look back up at the ceiling. “I am, it’s just…worrisome,” I explained.  I was lying at the end of his bed with his feet pressed against my hip.  It was apparent he was getting restless when he would curl his toes more frequently and let his entire leg shake, but he was determined to finish it his assignment due at the end of the week.  He always tried to get his assignments finished well in advance of the due date.  Stan was not so thoughtful.  He liked to let the adrenaline pump him up the night before.

Kyle stopped typing to look over his laptop at me.  I moved my eyes without moving my head to look at him.  The corner of his mouth turned up into a devilish smile. “You miss him, don’t you?” he asked smugly.

I scowled and moved my eyes away to look back up at the ceiling.  There was a small stain next to the light that I couldn’t take my eyes off.  It looked like a face, a very creepy face. “Don’t be ridiculous,” I snapped a bit louder than I had meant to.

Kyle pushed against my hip with his foot. “Ooh, Kenny!” he sang teasingly and I groaned loudly. “You miss him!”

“What’s going on?” Stan asked as he stepped into the room and took a bite from the banana he carried in his hand. “Why are we teasing Kenny this time?”

“It seems—oof!” Stan flopped down next to Kyle and jostled him violently.  He scrambled to grab his laptop that almost toppled off his lap and onto the floor. “It seems our dear Kenny McCormick is missing Professor Chaos.”

I quickly sat up and turned my head to glare at Kyle. “I do not!  I’m glad he’s disappeared.  I don’t have to worry about him.  I can actually focus on helping people,” I said as I sat with my arms crossed over my chest.

“It has been a week and a half since your last interaction with Professor Chaos and all you’ve done in that week and a half is talk about him,” Kyle explained.  I furrowed my eyebrows together and tightened my arms across my chest. “You’re obsessed with him,” he added and continued with his homework.

“I’m not obsessed with him!” I growled.  Kyle’s phone dinged loudly.

“Dude,” Stan spoke up.  Kyle picked up his phone and smiled. “You are kind of obsessed with the guy.  You have been since the day you met him.”

“I am not,” I snapped back. “If we’re gonna talk about being obsessed then we’re gonna talk about Kyle.”

Kyle quickly lifted his head and looked from me to Stan and then back at me. “What?” he snapped with his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What the hell are you two looking at?”

“I’m not going to disagree with you,” Stan said to me and I nodded. “It doesn’t mean you’re not obsessed with Chaos, but he is definitely smitten over the guy.”

“What?” Kyle asked confusingly.  Stan grinned at him.  Emerald eyes narrowed in realization. “Shut up.  Both of you shut the hell up.”

“Hey, we’re not the ones fawning over someone who is obviously into us but we’re too chicken to actually tell them,” Stan explained.

Kyle rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah, you’re just in a permanent dry spell and live with your two gay best friends—,” he explained as he jabbed a bony finger into Stan’s chest.

“Pansexual,” I spoke up.

Kyle immediately spun his attention around to me. “—and you’ve been pining over the same guy since middle school and have an obsession with your rival,” he said with an eyebrow cocked high on his face.

“I am not pining and I’m not obsessed with—!” I started to scream but Kyle shoved me hard with his foot and I fell off the end of his bed with a loud yelp.

Kyle cackled. “That was kind of mean, don’t you think?” Stan asked and took another bite of his fruit as I laid on the floor groaning from the pain that pulsated in my back.

“I didn’t want to hear him deny something stupid again.  He just needs to admit he’s got an obsession with two guys in his life,” Kyle replied.

“I do not!” I screamed.

“Are you almost done?” Stan whined. “I wanna go!”

I groaned as I sat up and looked over the end of the bed to see Stan leaning on Kyle.  The red head was typing away on his laptop as he tried to ignore the weight of his friend against him. “Give me another minute, Stan.  Then we’ll go.”

Stan groaned loudly and pressed heavier into Kyle.  He took another bite as he continued to be annoying until Kyle finally shut his laptop and pressed his hand to the raven-haired boy’s face to shove him away. “Alright!  Get off me!” Kyle shouted and gave Stan a hard shove.

We grabbed our things and travelled down the sidewalk towards the gym around the corner from the apartment.  We had recently started going when the weather got too cold or if it rained or snowed too much.  Though we weren’t even through September, it was an extremely cold morning that day.  Stan and I woke and Kyle was already awake…or still awake.  I wasn’t sure, in all honesty.  I set down my bag and lifted my arms to stretch them above my head.

“So, should we play some HORSE first to get you guys warmed up?” Kyle asked while fixing his shoelace.

“To get us warmed up?” Stan replied with a loud scoff. “You do realize you’re the one least in shape here, right?”

“When it comes to basketball?” Kyle spoke up. “I’m never out of shape,” he added with the most menacing look on his face.

He grabbed the worn-out ball he had owned since his sixteenth birthday and turned towards the court.  I looked over at Stan who gave me a worried look.  We both knew what was coming.  He always owned the court, even since elementary school.  Back then it was pretty easy to be the best, but it never stopped throughout the years.  He was the complete opposite of what you’d look for in a great basketball player, but he always destroyed everyone.  The ball swished loudly as it sunk into the net with ease.  Kyle smacked Stan in the chest with a loud whoop.

“Come on Stan, you’re falling behind,” Kyle teased him.  I grabbed the rolling ball and turned. “Kenny is doing better than you.  That’s got to tell you something.”

I moved to stand to the left of the net and readied myself. “It’s hard to concentrate with your annoying ass talking all the time,” Stan retaliated.

I was staring down the net.  The muscles in my legs and arms twitched with anticipation. “Don’t be such a sore loser, Stan,” Kyle replied teasingly.

I started my motion to score on the net. “Hiya fellas!” The ball flew from my hand and slammed against the rim of the net to send it straight back at me.  I almost didn’t duck out of the way of its velocity towards my face.  I quickly spun around, my eyes wide. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Butters!  You made it!” Kyle greeted loudly as he stepped away from his friend.  Butters set his bag down next to mine.  I could see the corner of his black sketchbook sticking out the top.  I don’t think I had ever seen him without it, but I had never seen inside it either.  He was dressed in gym clothes and I couldn’t help but let my eyes travel across him.  He used to be so thin and weak but in the last year he had packed on muscle.  Not a lot, but enough to give him some definition, especially in his legs and torso.  I could see it through the form fitting t-shirt he wore.

“You’re staring,” Stan sang quietly next to me.

I cleared my throat loudly and turned my head away.  Was I blushing?  _Hell no, Kenny McCormick does not blush._ “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I replied in a low voice.

“Oh, come on,” he said as he bumped his shoulder against mine. “I’m just teasing you.  I finally have some good material to use against you.  It’s like dangling a steak in front of a hungry carnivore.” I spun my head around to look up at my dark-haired friend. “I know we were a bit harsh at first when he came back, but he’s here and it’s obvious you haven’t changed your feelings.”

“It’s not like I didn’t try,” I muttered in response, my arms crossed over my chest.

Stan nodded. “I know, you really did.  But maybe you weren’t meant to get over him because you were meant to wait for him to come back.”

I rolled my eyes. “Stan, if you start on the whole destiny and fate shit, I swear I will beat you with the basketball,” I warned him.

Stan shrugged his shoulders to his ears. “All I’m saying is that everything happens for a reason.  I don’t think coincidence exists.  You and him, there’s something more than just awkward pining and longing stares.”

“Awe, Stanley, you’re such a big romantic,” I said mockingly as I reached up to pinch Stan’s cheek.

“Ow!  Kenny!  Let go!” Stan shouted and tried to pull away but I tightened my grip on his flesh. “Ouch!  Fuck!  Stop it, Kenny!”

“Do I have to split you two up?” Kyle asked as he approached with Butters bouncing happily beside him.  He was always happy.  I’m glad he never changed that.

Stan managed to get out of my grip with a sharp yelp. “Kenny’s being mean!” he whined like a child.

I grinned at him devilishly. “I’m just getting started,” I replied teasingly and reached out towards Stan’s face again.

“No!  Kenny!  I’m warning you!” Stan shouted as he smacked at my hand to stop me from pinching his cheek.  I laughed loudly.

“Are you two finished?” Kyle asked sternly.  His small hands were perched on his sides as his eyebrows pinched together.  Whenever he did that he looked just like his mother.  I learned my lesson not to say that to his face though when he knocked me to the floor the first time I mentioned it.

“Tell him to stop!” Stan demanded loudly and my laugh grew louder.

Kyle sighed loudly and shook his head.  He turned his head to face Butters. “Which one of the morons do you want as your partner, Butters?” he asked, ignoring our squabbling.

The blonde hummed as he looked back and forth between Stan and I. “Well, I don’t know Kyle.  Who do you want to play with?” he asked with a small smile.

Butters, always the considerate one.  It was amazing.  It had been two weeks since I spotted him in the halls of the college and everything was almost completely back to normal.  We all expected it to be awkward, but we managed to jump right back into the way we were before graduation.  There was no tension or harsh feelings.  Along with Butters, something else came crashing back to us.  Over the year we had been able to ignore it to an extent.  It would come up occasionally in conversation but never for long.  But it was back and with a dark vengeance.

_Kenny likes Butters._

I would admit that it never really went away.  Kyle and Stan did everything they could to help me move on from it when Butters left but I couldn’t forget him.  I even had dreams about him.  One dream I constantly had started with me running through a forest, the wind whipping around me as the sound of crashing waves echoed through the air.  I ran and ran and ran until the trees broke and in front of me was about twenty feet of open space to the edge of the high cliff over the open sea.  Standing at the edge with his toes over the edge was Butters.  He had his back turned to me but I could tell it was him from the shape of his torso to his sun yellow hair.  I would start to run.  My mouth would open to call out his name but no noise would pass through my lips.  Just as I was about to reach him, he’d fall forward and I would wake up.

_When did I stop having those dreams?_

“I’ll take Kenny,” Kyle spoke up and I snapped out of my daze. “You can take Stan.  He’s not completely useless.”

“Hey!” Stan and I shouted simultaneously.  I wasn’t too sure which insult was worst.

“Have fun with him!” Kyle said and smacked Butters’ back harshly before he stepped forward to grab my arm. “Let’s go!” he said and started to walk, pulling me along backwards awkwardly.

I almost tripped over my feet but managed to catch my balance and stumbled beside Kyle.  He quickly jogged over to pick up his ball that had rolled into the corner after my epically ridiculous attempt at a shot at the basket that almost resulted in a broken nose. “Stan will be my block,” Kyle spoke up as he approached me.  I tilted my head slightly in confusion. “It’s natural for him to want to try to stop me, which means you’ll have Butters to block.  Which means there will be a lot of physical contact and body heat,” he continued and I frowned as he leaned in dangerously close enough that he may have heard my heart hammering in my chest. “Think you can keep your shit together long enough to win this game?”

“You are the devil, you know that right?” I replied, my arms crossed over my chest.

“I may be the devil but I’m also a mastermind,” he said and pressed his fingertip against the space between my eyebrows to press forward. “And you can thank me later.”

“I thought you were mad at him,” I explained as I crossed my arms over my chest.  My eyebrows furrowed together.

Kyle hummed quietly. “I was, but it’s Butters.  How can anyone be mad at Butters?” he replied with a crooked smile.

He was right.  Of course, he was right.

“Are we gonna play or what?” Stan shouted from the middle of the court where he was stretching his arm across his chest.

“In a rush to get your ass handed to you, Stanley?” Kyle asked and trotted over to his SBF to toss the ball to him.

“Just don’t cry when we wipe the floor with you, Kyle,” Stan retaliated as he bounced the ball a few times.

“Oh, such confidence.  I’m gonna savour it because it won’t last long.”

“Are they always this intense?” Butters asked next to me.

I nodded. “This is pretty tame actually.  Sometimes I don’t even play just so they can take out their frustration on each other.  Plus, it’s kind of like watching free television,” I explained and then turned to face the blonde who was watching Kyle and Stan trash talking each other with a small smile. “It’s nice to have someone here to play with other than them for a change.  It might actually be a fair game for once.  The closest we ever get is when Stan and I play against Kyle.”

“Oh!  Kyle was always good at basketball,” Butters exclaimed happily.

“He still is,” I added. “Don’t worry, we’ll go easy on you guys.”

Butters quickly turned his head.  His eyes were wide for a moment before he smiled wide enough to the point that they squinted shut. “Don’t worry about us,” he said and I almost fell over at the feeling of my heart throwing itself against my ribcage.

_Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu—!_

“I’ll give you a chance at least.  The ball is yours,” Kyle explained cockily.

Stan grinned.  He griped the ball tightly and then suddenly turned to toss it towards Butters.  It took me a moment to realize we had started our game and it took me even longer to realize that as soon as the ball touched Butters’ fingertips, he was gone.  His movements were quick and like fluid.  In a flash he had lunged around me and scored on the net.  The room fell eerily silent except for the echoing bangs of the ball against the floor as Kyle and I gave each other the same wide-eyed look before we turned to face the blonde smiling timidly under the net.

“Whoo!” Stan cheered with his fists pumped up into the air.

“Looks like we’ve got a worthy contender for once,” Kyle spoke up.

_Holy shit_ , I thought, _I’m in trouble._

“Let’s do this!” Stan screamed.

“Yeah!” Butters yelled back.

Sometimes I felt lonely when I was with Kyle and Stan.  Those times especially came around when we would do anything that really wasn’t great for an odd number of people, so I’d make up some lame excuse and sit on the sidelines watching.

It wasn’t their fault.  They were Super Best Friends after all, but there was no loneliness for once.  There was always a presence at my side.  I focused on it, honed in on the warmth.  As we moved through the court, I could feel everything else disappear around the four of us.  We were having fun, laughing as we played our game, and my mind continued to fixate on one thing in particular.  Butters.  His movements were effortless.  He dodged with speed and shot with intense accuracy.  He was almost to the same level as Kyle in skill.  It was something I had never seen in him before.  He normally struggled with the physical exertion, but not on the court with us.  There was something changed, something different about him.

“Damn Butters!” Stan said as he smacked Butters’ shoulder after scoring again.  We were tied. “Travelling must have given you super powers or something!  You’re killing it.”

Butters blushed.  He still couldn’t take a compliment without turning red.  It was adorable.

_Sorry…it was WHAT?  Get it together, McCormick!_

“Th—Thanks Stan,” Butters replied with a small, nervous smile.

“Alright, enough!” Kyle shouted. “We are tied and I am getting hungry, so, let’s do game point.  Whoever makes the next shot wins the game.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.  We took our positions again, Butters and I face to face as we waited for Kyle and Stan to figure out who got the ball first. “You ready, Buttercup?” I asked with a crooked grin.

Butters responded to my smile with his own.  It was just as equally crooked but far brighter. “Are you, Ken?” he asked.  I froze.  A sharp chill ran up my spine and that familiar feeling of adrenaline coursed through my veins.  Something ignited inside me.

Shoes squeaked and Stan was suddenly shouting Butters’ name from the centre of the court.  Butters caught the ball tossed in the air.  I took a step forward, ready to block him from lunging in either direction to get around me but he didn’t.  Instead he took a step towards me and the distance between us disappeared.  I felt his breath on my face.  It ghosted over my skin to leave tiny flickers of fire in its wake.  My body went rigid and just as quickly as he was there within grabbing distance, he was suddenly gone.  The breath that had hitched in my throat escaped.  The loud cheering and Kyle’s disappointed groans were muffled under the loud echoing of my heartbeat in my ears.

_I’m in so much damn trouble._

“That was so much fun!” Butters said loudly next to Kyle.  We were seated in a booth at a restaurant near the gym.  Stan and I sat across the table from Kyle and Butters.  Getting changed and making it to the restaurant was a haze to me.  I was still in a trance from the game.  Bright, baby blue eyes haunted my mind.  My skin continued to tingle.  And there was something nagging the back of my mind.  I couldn’t be sure exactly what it was, but it made me anxious. “Thank you so much for inviting me, Kyle.”

“I almost wished I didn’t.  You destroyed us out there,” Kyle explained and bumped his shoulder against Butters’.  The blonde laughed lightly and ruffled his hair. “Seriously, your personality and attitude are exactly the same as before you left but yet you’re completely different at the same time.”

“Different in a good way,” Stan spoke up beside me.

Kyle nodded rapidly. “Absolutely!  You seem a lot happier than before,” he explained and leaned back slightly in his seat. “I mean, before you left you always looked so sick and miserable, even when you were smiling.  It was kind of a bum—ow!”

Kyle’s head shot forward as he glared at Stan across the table from him after his foot connected with the red head’s shin.  Stan’s lips were set in a tight line and he gestured towards Butters.  I hadn’t noticed either until I turned my head along with Kyle to see the small tears formed in Butters’ eyes, illuminating the blue irises behind them.

“Ah!  Butters, I’m sorry!” Kyle said loudly and startled Butters so he looked up from the table. “I didn’t mean to make you cry, dude, I was just—.”

“No!  Oh, hamburgers,” Butters interrupted as he turned to grab Kyle’s hand and used his other hand to rub at his teary eyes. “I am happy.  A lot happier.  It’s just—,” he stopped and quickly wiped away the small tears with his sleeve. “I missed you guys.”

Kyle chuckled and wrapped an arm around Butters’ shoulders to pull him towards him. “We missed you too, dude!  But that’s no reason to cry,” he explained.

Butters laughed as Kyle rubbed his head roughly.  That damn laugh.  It was the one I remembered so well each time I thought of him.  It was the same laugh all the way from preschool.  My chest suddenly tightened and I curled my shoulders forward slightly.

“Okay!  I—I’m sorry!  Stop hurting me!” Butters shouted with laughter in his voice.  Kyle stopped harassing him and let him out of the headlock he was in.

“The old group is back together again,” Kyle said with a wide grin.

“Except Cartman,” Stan mentioned and Kyle’s expression turned sour.

“Do not mention him again.  Stupid Nazi,” Kyle muttered and then immediately formed his smile again when the waitress approached our table.

“What can I get you boys?” she asked kindly.

Kyle was ordering and I turned my head in time to see Butters quickly duck behind his menu so I couldn’t see his face.  _Still as weird as ever._   I smiled and slowly shook my head.  _Man, I missed this._

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

I stood on the rooftop of a tall bank building looking down at the streets below.  It had been surprisingly quiet lately, especially with Professor Chaos’ disappearance.  Our last encounter left a strange feeling in me.  There was obviously a connection between Chaos and the man from the garage.  The electrifying feeling that passed through my fingers was proof enough of that.  Why had he disappeared though?  It was such a strange encounter.  Chaos seemed startled, maybe even distracted by something.

That wasn’t my only worry though.  My other worry came from somewhere far more frightening.  Me.  I stayed awake all night after the Vault thinking about it.  I hadn’t felt that surge of anger and power since then and I couldn’t be sure if that relieved me or made me even more anxious.  The level of anger I felt was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.  To be honest, it took me a while to figure out but it wasn’t the anger that scared me, it was the fact that for a moment before Stan pulled me out of my daze I…enjoyed it.  I enjoyed the rage and the drive and every connection of my fist against the man’s face sent another shock of adrenaline through my veins.

“Shit,” I snapped as I poked my finger under my mask to rub the space under my eye but stopped when I felt something familiar.  Intense power I hadn’t felt in a while.  I used to follow it across Denver to find Professor Chaos, but the longer we played our game of cat and mouse, the harder it was to sense the energy that radiated from him.  He was hiding it from me.  It was all part of his ridiculous game, but then I felt it.  It fluctuated powerfully. “Where are you, Chaos?” I whispered as the cold, Colorado air whipped around me to pick up my cape.  The energy slammed against my back in a strong wave and then disappeared.  I quickly spun around to look in the direction of the tall building wrapped in metal scaffolding.  It was like it lit up like a beacon in my mind. “There you are.”

I used the rooftops to get to the building and launched myself across the open space to grab onto the metal railings.  The metal creaked and groaned under my weight as I climbed until I spotted the familiar green fabric rustling from around the corner ahead of me.

“Not now, idiot,” I heard the familiar voice snap ahead through the strong wind. “Get yourself under control.”

“Chaos,” I snapped when I stepped out from behind the corner of the building.  He quickly spun around and I could see the bolts of electricity spark from the corner of his glowing violet eye.  I took a small step back.  There was something off.  The small bolts of electricity that danced across his fingertips were jagged and unstable.

“You shouldn’t be here, Mysterion,” he snapped.  His voice was unnervingly low.  I had never heard it quiet at that octave before.  It made my spine tingle.

“You’re right.  I’m terrified of heights,” I joked but he didn’t seem amused. “Tell me what the hell you did to me last time,” I wasted no time in demanding.

The laugh that came from him was deep and rumbled in his chest.  My body shook at the strangeness of the sound. “What I did to you?  Oh, no, I didn’t do anything.  That was all you,” he snapped as he lifted a hand to point at me.  His voice was rising with each word. “That energy clung to you!  You let it—!” he flinched violently and grabbed at his arm.  The sparks exploded from his fingers but immediately disappeared before they could touch anything when he dropped his hand to his side.  Chaos panted heavily.

“Chaos—,” I started to say as I took a step forward.

“Don’t!” he screamed and I froze.  My body went rigid. “Just—ugh—just leave, Mysterion.”

My fingers curled to create fists at my sides. “Not until you tell me what the hell is going on,” I growled in response. “Tell me, Chaos!”

“No!  He’s not—,” the violet in his eyes faded and for a moment I saw them dim in the shadows before they brightened again, “You’re not ready.”

“Not ready for what?” I snapped.  Chaos shook his head rapidly, his eyes squeezed shut.  I was suddenly moving forward with heavy footsteps. “Enough!  Just—,” I demanded as I reached out.  He opened his eyes just as I grabbed a hold of his arm and felt the energy rev up from him.  There was a moment where everything went silent and still and I realized how close I was to Professor Chaos.  I had never been that close to him before and for long enough to get a good look at him.  There was something oddly familiar about him.

Then his eyes dimmed and widened in fear and I immediately knew why.  The explosion of electricity from his body slammed against me.  The force threw me back and I crashed against the railing.  Metal groaned and snapped from the impact and I was suddenly dangling over the edge of the scaffolds.  My head spun and I felt pressure tighten around my forearm.

“Mysterion!” Professor Chaos’ voice shouted through the fog in my mind that danced in circles in my skull.  I quickly tilted my head back to look up and he was holding on tightly to my arm with strain visible on his face. “Grab my arm!  I’ll pull you up.”

The bright violet was gone from his eyes and he was struggling to keep his grip on the bent railing that groaned under the excessive weight from the both of us.  It was bending slowly, ready to give up at any moment.  It didn’t take a genius to know that I wouldn’t be pulled up in time.

“Let go of me!” I shouted.

“What?” Chaos snapped back and his voice was suddenly higher.  There was also panic laced in his tone. “No, I’m not—!”

“Let go of me, Chaos!  If you don’t, we both die,” I growled.

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’m not—,” Chaos stopped when the bar jostled and he almost lost his grip.

I groaned loudly in frustration. “There’s no time for this,” I snapped and reached up to grab his hand to pry myself loose from him.  The wind whipped around me as I fell and I felt weightless, like I was flying.  It was exactly what I wanted to feel for so long.  The feeling of—

“Holy shit!” I shouted as I bolted up in my bed. “Agh!” I screamed and clutched the back of my head. “Damn that hurts,” I snapped and moaned loudly as I rolled back and forth over my bed.  It took a moment but the pain eventually passed over me.  I pulled my blankets up over my head and groaned at the knocking on the door. “What?”

The door creaked open and footsteps stepped inside. “Kenny?  Are you alright?” Stan asked.

I shifted but kept the blankets pulled over my head. “I’m fine,” I muttered in response.

The footsteps moved closer and the bed shifted under a new weight next to me. “Fine?  Really?  That’s a pretty weak lie, even for you,” Stan explained.  I let out a long, loud sigh and the heavy weight of Stan’s upper body laid across my lower back. “Come on, tell me what’s going on.  Was it a nightmare?” he asked and I snorted loudly. “Was it _that_ dream again?”

I groaned and buried my face in my pillow.  His tenacity made protecting him so damn hard sometimes. “No, Stan, don’t worry about it,” I replied and shifted my body but Stan didn’t move.

“I am going to worry about it because you obviously slept through your alarm because you’re about ten minutes away from being late to work,” he explained and my head shot up. “And you’re never late for work.”

I quickly reached out to grab my phone off the end table and looked at the screen.  He was right.  I was dangerously close to being late for work for the first time since I started working there. “Shit!  Get—Get off me!” I demanded and pushed Stan off me as he laughed.

“So, are you going to tell me why you were screaming or are you going to be stubborn?” Stan asked, a wide grin on his face as I struggled to grab some clean clothes to throw on.

“Stubborn is my strong suit.  Why stop now, right?” I replied and fought to pull on a shirt.

“Does it have anything to do with you and Chaos and the office building downtown under construction?” Stan asked and I froze.  I slowly turned and his eyebrow shot up quizzically.

“How did you—?” I started to ask.

“The news.  Someone caught some pictures of you and him from somewhere nearby.  It seemed like a heated argument from the blurry, amateur shots that were taken,” he explained and I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You must be happy to see him back.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah right, he could have stayed away for the rest of my life and I would have been quite content,” I explained, my arms crossed tightly over my chest.

Stan let out a long sigh as he shook his head. “You’re so hopeless, dude,” he said and flopped backwards on my bed. “I mean, how long are you two gonna do this dance around each other?  It’s obvious neither of you are actually going to capture the other, so one of you is probably just gonna give up and move on.”

“I have a feeling you don’t take this whole thing very seriously,” I explained, my eyebrows furrowed together.

Stan quickly sat back up. “How can I?  It’s obvious that neither of you have the intention of actually following through against the other.  It’s been that way since the beginning.  I mean, what do you two actually do?  You tussle a bit—.”

“Tussle?” I said with an amused grin.

“—but you don’t actually make an attempt to catch him and he doesn’t attempt to actually do you any harm,” Stan continued to say, ignoring my interruption.  I had to snort gently at the last part. “It’s like being part of a very strange never-ending cycle of awkwardness.”

“Oh, so very similar to your actual life,” I retaliated.  Stan frowned but it was half forced and trying to hide a creeping smile. “You can’t even be mad because that was a good one.”

“Oh, shut up,” he grumbled as he pushed himself up to his feet. “Just—Maybe it’s time to try talking instead of fighting.  And I don’t mean the scary mean talking you decide to do when you wear your mask.  I mean actual talking.  The kind of talking that Kenny McCormick does with his friends.”

“Professor Chaos is not my friend,” I snapped.

“That’s what you’re trying to make everyone, including yourself, think but there’s denial and then there’s truth,” Stan explained and moved for the door. “I think it’s time to push the denial aside.”

“I’m not in denial!” I shouted after Stan as he exited the room with a small smirk on his face.

Things were getting out of hand complicated.  The more interactions I found myself in with Professor Chaos, the more confusing everything was getting.  I mean, here’s what I knew.  Professor Chaos was obviously hiding something from me, the both of us were connected somehow through the powers we possessed, and even though he came into my life as my rival…he actually wasn’t a bad guy, as hard as I didn’t want to admit it.

**KB** : MOVIE NIGHT BOYS!  
**SM:** for the love of god calm down.  
**KB:** Come on Stan!  
**K²:** wat movei?  
**KB:** You secretly love it.  
**K²:** wat movie dingus?!  
**KB:** We’re gonna go see Pennywise, asshat.  
**SM:** i feel like this is a conversation that doesn’t require so much vulgarity…  
**KB:** And yet, here we are friends.  
**K²:** o now were friends??  
**KB:** Only when it’s convenient.  
**SM:** ey Butters, you coming with us?  
**KB:** Tomorrow night, cheap tickets and no late night classes!  
**SM:** anyone ever notice how Kyle is like one of those little yappy dogs that’s always vibrating with excitement and anger??  
**KB:** SHUT UP STAN!  
**SM:** angryyyy  
**K²:** r u 2 done??  
**SM:** no  
**KB:** Never.  
**K²:** holy fuck  
**KB:** BUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTERS!!!  
**SM:** he’s probably busy.  
**KB:** With what?  What could possibly be more important than answering me?  
**KB:** I’m the fucking bomb.  
**SM:** literally anything else.  
**K²:** ^^^^^ looooool  
**KB:** SO MEAN!  
**KB:** Butters, please, come to my aid!  
**SM:** give up Kyle, you are alone in this fight.

I was starting to feel anxious.  It wasn’t unlike Butters to take a while to respond but there was something wrong.  He hadn’t answered the messages all day. “Hey,” Spence snapped me out of my daze as he flicked my cheek. “Come on kid, you’re gonna chew right down to the bone at this rate,” he explained and picked up the coffee pot in the corner of the office to pour the liquid into his mug.

I removed my thumb nail from between my teeth and sighed loudly. “Thanks,” I said in a low voice as I stared at my phone.  Everyone had gone silent in the group chat.  Spence finished filling his mug and then moved to sit down in the chair next to me.  He took a small sip of his drink and lifted his foot to gently kick my chair.  The force of the kick rolled me away slightly and I looked up from my phone to glare at the man.

“What’s going on?  You’ve been glued to your phone all day,” he explained.

My eyebrows slowly shifted apart and I frowned. “Sorry, I—I didn’t mean for it to be a problem,” I explained as I slowly shook my head.

“It’s not a problem, it’s just making us all worry.  It’s very unlike you.  We’re just worried something’s happened to someone you know and you’re trying to be strong for work, which would be stupid,” Spence replied as he set his mug aside. “Unless—,” he dragged and then turned his attention back to me with a quirked eyebrow.

“Unless?” I replied.

“Unless it’s a girl you’re waiting on,” he explained.

I scoffed and shook my head. “No, it’s not a girl,” I answered with a small chuckle.

“It should be a girl,” Spence said flatly and I tilted my head slightly. “You deserve a good girl in your life, Kenny.”

“Why is everyone so interested in my love life?” I groaned and tilted my head back as I slumped in my chair.

“There’s nothing greater in this world than true love, Kenny,” the man expressed which would have been thoughtful and kind if it weren’t for his serious, flat tone.

“You’re starting to freak me out, Spence,” I said trying to match his tone.

“You’re a good kid.  You show up to work early every day, you’re always willing and eager, and you even take side projects that literally have nothing more than experience to give you.  You stay pretty quiet about your personal life except for your roommates that you’ve talked about a few times.  You show up tired a lot but it never affects your performance so no one worries about it too much.  In a way, you remind us a lot of Mr. Bagley when he was younger.  And before he met his wife,” Spence explained and paused to let me process. “As soon as he met her though, he completely changed.  It was like he had died and been reborn.  Reincarnated is the better word, all because of her, because she brought out the best in him.”

“What does this have to do with me exactly?” I scowled as I asked.

“It’s got everything to do with you.  You’re focused and driven, but that’s not always necessarily a good thing.  There’s got to be more to life than work,” Spence paused to reach out to grab my hand.  His skin was surprisingly cold. “There has to be something worth fighting for.”

“Spence!” David shouted as he threw open the office door.  The sudden burst startled me and I quickly spun my chair around. “Are you harassing the poor kid?”

“Harassing?” Spence asked and scoffed loudly. “Please, I’m not harassing anyone.”

“Uh, what’s going on?” I asked.  The shift in demeanour from the man made me curious and a little uncomfortable at the same time.

David sighed loudly. “Spence is currently on some very heavy pain meds for his back, that’s why he’s been on diagnostics and desk duty all day,” he explained.  _Well, that actually makes a lot of sense._ “You’re not supposed to be drinking coffee, idiot, it’s bad for your heart.” Spence sipped loudly at his hot liquid which echoed through the small room.  I couldn’t help but chuckle at the childish act the man partook in.  It was unlike him but yet, it suited him so well. “Fine,” David snapped as he threw his hands up, “don’t come crying to me though when you feel all keel over from a damn heart attack.”

“A bit of coffee isn’t going to kill me, David,” Spence explained with a roll of his eyes.

“You say that now but you’ll regret it soon enough,” the taller man explained.  My phone chimed and I almost dropped it as I scrambled to look at the screen.  David chuckled beside me. “What’s got you so on edge, kid?”

“He’s got a girl,” Spence sang and I shifted my eyes to look back at him with a lifted eyebrow.

“It’s not a girl, Spence,” I replied sternly.

“It’s totally a girl,” Spence whispered in a loud voice.

“Alright, druggie,” David replied to his partner with a small chuckle.

“Don’t you two have anything better to do?” I grumbled and finally managed to take a look at my phone.

**LBS:** No thanks guys.  
**KB:** What?  
**SM:** no thanks?  
**KB:** I don’t think you understand.  It’s Pennywise, Butters!  
**SM:** Butters never really was into the scary movies…  
**KB:** Awe, come on!  We’ll put you next to Kenny.  He’ll protect you.

_Asshole…_

**LBS:** No guys.  I’m busy.  
**SM:** …  
**LBS:** Sorry, but maybe next time.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, but there was something wrong.  It was strange but you could always feel his happiness through his messages.  It was his superpower to always be as happy as humanly possible.  There was something different about his messages though.  It may have been stress from school.  He had been complaining about the amount of work he already had.  It wouldn’t have been so bad if he hadn’t piled on classes to try to catch up quickly.  Taking a year off to travel made him anxious about falling behind.  No doubt a fear his parents unknowingly placed in his mind.  Because of that decision, he found himself buried under enough assignments to keep him busy for a lifetime.

“Maybe he’s sick,” Stan said as he stirred the sauce slowly. “You know how easy it was for him to get sick.”

I hummed gently.  The group chat had gone silent again  soon after Butters had replied but I couldn’t keep myself from checking as I sat on the kitchen counter. “The water’s boiling.” I said without looking up from my phone.

Stan quickly reached for the bag of uncooked noodles to pour some into the pot of boiling water. “Stop worrying about it.  I’m sure he’s fine,” he explained with a small sigh.

“I’m not worrying,” I grumbled and reluctantly set my phone down beside me.

“Of course you’re worrying.  You are built to worry,” he said and snapped in pain when some hot water bubbled out of the pot to splash against his hand. “Especially about him.”

“Stan—,” I started to say.

“He is your long-lost love after all,” Stan teased.

“It was a crush, Stan.  Nothing more than a stupid high school crush,” I explained in a dry tone that earned a sideways glance from Stan. “I’m happy he’s back, but it’s not the same as before.”

Stan scoffed loudly. “Yeah, you tell yourself that,” he mocked and I rolled my eyes.

“Your sauce is gonna burn if you don’t keep an eye on it,” I said in a low voice with hope that I could steer the conversation a different direction before a lecture came out.

“Ah!  Well, you could help you know,” Stan snapped and quickly tried to multitask the noodles and sauce.

I hummed again. “I could, or I could sit here and watch you struggle,” I replied with a wide, crooked smirk.

“Asshole,” Stan snapped.

“Love you too,” I said and made a loud kissing noise that Stan flipped me off for.  Our standard bonding moment was cut short when a soft knocking echoed through the apartment from the main door.  I leaned back to look across the living room to the door as my eyebrows furrowed together. “Are you expecting someone?”

“No, are you?” Stan turned to reply.

I shook my head and carefully slid off the counter to make my way out of the kitchen.  Stan yelped loudly in pain and then dragged on a long, loud groan.  I rolled my eyes.  I opened the door slightly to peek out. “Alex?” I called out and swung the door open.  The brunet quickly spun around and smiled.  He was dressed semi-casually with his hair brushed and slicked back. “What are you doing here?”

“I—I’m here to pick up Kyle,” he explained as he rubbed the back of his neck.

The grin that formed on my face was wide. “For a date?  Are you two going on a date?” I asked in a teasing tone.

“I think generally that’s what going to dinner with someone you like is called,” Alex replied and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Bitter sarcasm, I like it,” I said and then felt the back of my collar being grabbed.  I was pulled back a few steps and then tugged down to lean to Kyle’s level.  He was wearing a cardigan and his usually wild hair was tamed with gel and probably five other kinds of hair product.

“Kenny,” Kyle growled quietly.

“Yes Kyle?” I replied and flashed a large, toothy grin at him.

“Stop being a pain in the ass,” the shorter boy snapped.

“You should keep him.  I like him,” I whispered as I leaned in close to Kyle’s ear.

He sighed and shoved me aside slightly.  He grabbed his coat and turned to flick me on the forehead. “Stay out of trouble,” he said with a small smile.

“No promises!” Stan shouted from the kitchen.

“Stay safe you two,” I sang as Kyle stepped out of the apartment.  Alex’s hand touched Kyle’s shoulder first and then moved down his arm to stop at his wrist.  Kyle’s face brightened at the contact as the tips of his ears turned red.  I stifled the small laugh that rose in my throat and Kyle stuck his middle finger up at me from behind his back where Alex couldn’t see.

I closed the door to return to the kitchen where Stan handed me a bowl full of pasta. “Bon appetite,” he said cheerfully.

“Stan, come on, I don’t speak Spanish,” I replied as I took the bowl and left the living room as he laughed loudly.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

There was something in the air.  A thick sensation like a fog that weighed down against my shoulders.  After dinner and the sunset, I changed and headed out across the rooftops as Stan sat watching some action/drama as he worked on homework.

“You should go out,” I said as I pulled my hood over my head. “Stop sitting around at home.”

“I have assignments,” Stan replied dryly.

“You’re gonna turn into an old man before your time, Stan.  Get out of the house and do something.  Go meet someone,” I explained and tugged on the ends of my gloves to secure them over my hands.

“Let me point out that dressing up as a superhero and jumping around rooftops is not getting out of the house and doing something, at least not in the sense that you mean, so you have no right to be saying that to me,” he muttered quietly as he skimmed through his textbook. “Maybe instead of going out tonight as Mysterion, we go out together and pick up some girls.  Or not.  I don’t know what you’re feeling right now.”

“You make it sound like I’m picking out flavours of ice cream or something,” I explained and placed my hands on the back of the couch as I leaned forward slightly to hover over the mess of black hair.

Stan tilted his head back to look up at me with a small grin. “I mean, if that’s what you’re in to,” he joked.

“Pull your mind out of the gutter, Stanley,” I said as I ruffled his hair roughly and shoved his head forward.  He chuckled and continued to read through his textbook.

Downtown was lively, as always.  I had started to notice over the last few months that there were more and more people out on the streets enjoying their nights.  The news believed it was because of me that people started to feel more comfortable with going out.  Small time criminals were scared to go out and gangs were becoming more meticulous about their assaults across the city.  The gang with the spider tattoos were especially meticulous.  They were becoming more and more popular across the city, especially when it came out that they were the ones that attacked the Vault.  They were fearless and smart.  Some nights it seemed like they would intentionally catch my attention while the real crime happened across town.

My head lifted at the sound of the high-pitched scream from nearby.  It came from behind me.  I quickly dashed across the rooftop to look down into the dimly lit parking lot.  I could see movement from the darkness in the corner.  Three figures were surrounding a smaller one backed into the corner.

“Someone help!” The smaller figure shouted.  Something felt oddly familiar about the entire scene.

I didn’t think.  My body moved automatically the moment my adrenaline started pumping.  I dashed across the rooftop and launched myself off the edge.  The rustling of my cape through the air must have alerted the figures below.  They looked up and quickly moved back.  I landed hard.  The drop from the roof of the three-story building should have blown out my joints, but I didn’t feel anything.  And I had no time to think about it.  I kicked the figure in front of me to knock them back against the ground and then took a step back to shield the woman pressed against the wall of the building behind me.  The figure that I knocked back let out a loud booming chuckle as he pushed himself to his feet.

“I can see why the boss is so interested in you,” he explained and rolled his head to crack his neck loudly.  The angle of his neck showed off the dark tattoo of webbing with a long-legged spider crawling up onto his chin. “Not just a freak in tights.”

“Who is your boss?” I asked.  It hadn’t been the first time a gang member had mentioned their boss.  It hadn’t even been the fifth or sixth time.  Whoever he was, he was interested in me for some odd reason.  _Guess that means I’m pretty popular._ “What does he want with me?”

“Well, at first he wanted you out of the way but you’ve grown on him,” the man explained and adjusted his glove. “Think of him as a collector.  He loves to own interesting things, and you would make quite an impact to his collection.”

I scoffed. “What am I a doll or something?” I asked, my lips turned up into a crooked half smile.

The man grinned wildly in the dark.  I saw the flash of white teeth and my entire body went stiff. “Grab him,” he ordered and the other two gang members moved to lunge at me.  Hands grabbed for me in a haze of limbs.  I quickly ripped myself from the first hold but an arm wrapped around my neck from behind to put me in a strong choke hold.  I fought against the hold but immediately curled forward when the hard blow to my stomach knocked the wind out of me.  I wheezed and tried to lean forward but the arm around me tightened to keep my back straight.

“Let go of me or I’ll break your damn arm,” I growled angrily through a few wheezing breaths.

The man who punched me in the gut scoffed loudly. “I’d like to see tha—,” he started to say but stopped when I kicked him in the chest and then grabbed the wrist pressed against my throat to squeeze.  The man let out a loud scream as I brought my fist up to connect with the side of his elbow.  The joint snapped loudly and the man stepped back. “Holy shit!”

The first man chuckled loudly. “Interesting,” he growled.  The other man took a step forward but he was grabbed to be stopped. “Enough.  We’re done here.”

“What!  We haven’t—,” the second man began to protest but was cut off when the back of the other man’s hand connected loudly with his cheek.

“Get him,” the first gang member snapped as he pointed to the man who cradled his broken arm against his chest, “and let’s go.  The boss wants us back,” he ordered and then turned his attention back to me. “Don’t worry, it’s not over.  We’re merely delaying the inevitable.  He’ll get a hold of you eventually.”

Needless to say, I was confused as hell.  It didn’t make any sense but I let the gang members leave.  I was in too much of a confused daze to do anything but stand there.  I guess it made sense as to why the gang was after me.  I had been putting them down left and right for the past year and a half.  At first when they were beating me with bats and stabbing me with knives it made sense, but trying to kidnap me?  That was a different level of fucking weird.

“Are you alright?” I finally pulled myself from my daze to turn to ask the woman who was leaning against the wall of the building.  She was shaking violently with her arms wrapped around herself.  I reached out to touch her shoulder and she flinched away. “Sorry,” I apologized as I pulled my hand away. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.  I just want to help.”

“I—I—,” the woman stuttered and then collapsed.  I caught her with a small grunt and sighed heavily.

“Dammit,” I muttered quietly and shifted the woman to get her unconscious body on my back.  It was the only way I could carry her.  Not that I knew what to do with her once I started moving.  I continued to stick to the shadows as I carried the woman through the alleys. “I could leave you on the street somewhere,” I muttered to the unconscious body on my back. “I’d leave you somewhere with lots of light and lots of people to find you,” I added and laughed. “That makes me sound like a terrible person.” I snorted and shook my head. “Maybe the hospital would be a better idea.  I’m sure someone will be able to—.”

“Freeze!” I did.  My head lifted and I quickly spun around.  The light from the flashlight blinded me for a moment before it lowered and I could see who it was behind it. “Do not move, Mysterion.  You—.”

“Officer Remis!” I shouted with excitement.  The woman’s face contorted noticeably into confusion. “I’m so happy you’re here.  I need—need a bit of help here,” I explained and struggled to shift the weight on my back that was sliding down.

“What are you doing with her?” Remis asked in a lowered voice.

“Oh her?  We were just enjoying a night out on the town,” I joked but the woman didn’t look impressed even the slightest. “She was being attacked by a gang and I helped her out.  She passed out though and I don’t know where to take her,” I explained and shifted the unconscious body on my back.

Remis’ eyes shifted as she tried to take in the situation. “If she was attacked, she might have just passed out from the shock,” she explained and turned off her flashlight. “Follow me.”

I was hesitant but decided to follow her.  There was something strangely calming about her and for some reason I found myself trusting her without even knowing her.  She led me through some alleys until we came to one between two buildings just wide enough for the police cruiser to be parked.  I stopped moving to stare at the dark vehicle in front of me.  Officer Remis stopped at the back door of the cruiser to turn to face me.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to cuff you and throw you in the back seat.  I just want to make sure she gets taken care of,” Remis explained and opened the back door of the car.  I let out a shaky sigh.  She helped me carefully get the woman into the backseat to buckle the belt around her.  Remis shut the door and turned to face me.  I kept my distance.  I trusted her, but not that much.

“Thank you, Officer Remis,” I said to the woman before I turned.

“How do you know my name?” she suddenly called out behind me.  I stopped after my first step and turned my head slightly.  It was such a strange question at first but then it fucking hit me.  She didn’t tell me her name as Mysterion.  She told me her name as Kenny McCormick.  _Shit._ “Mysterion.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I responded quickly. “Just, take care of her.  Make sure she’s alright.”

“Mysterion—,” Officer Remis started again but I wouldn’t let her finish.

“I know you have your laws, but I need you to push those aside right now and listen to the voice in your head I know you have that’ll lead you to taking care of her,” I explained without turning around. “Next time we meet, you can interrogate me all you want.  For now, let’s just part ways like old friends.”

“Mysterion!” Officer Remis shouted as I started down the dark alley. “I will bring you in eventually.  The law is the law and no one is above it.”

“I look forward to it, officer!” shouted back over my shoulder with a small wave and disappeared around the corner to climb up the nearest fire escape I could find.  I reached the top with a loud exhale and stretched my arms above my head. “Well, job well done Mr—,” I stopped when I felt it wrap around me like a hot blanket.  Energy, wild and unstable.  I felt it dance across my skin and pull me off to the side.  I quickly spun around and grinned. “Hello, Professor,” I said quietly and took off across the flat rooftops to vault over short walls and dodge around large vents.  I leapt across the open alleyway to grab a hold of the metal scaffolding.  I climbed up to the top and stopped.

“Will you calm the hell down?” I heard the voice carry through the air.  My eyebrows furrowed together.  The voice was definitely Professor Chaos, but there was something slightly off about it. “What is the point now?  I don’t know, I’m just—,” he stopped and groaned loudly in frustration.  He had quite a habit of talking to himself.  I was moving again.  I saw the figure pacing in the dark at the edge of the roof.  My boots clunked as I came to a stop and the figure froze.

“You’re not even trying to hide anymore,” I spoke up.  I could see his shoulder stiffen.  His entire back straightened.  He slowly turned his head.  The eye that I could see was wide and unblinking as the bright violet glowing slowly faded away. “You’re taking all the fun—.”

“How—?” he cut me off to start to ask but his voice cracked.  He swallowed hard. “How are you here right now?”

I scoffed. “Well, it’s not like you’re trying really hard to hide.  I could feel your energy from two blocks away,” I explained.

“No,” he snapped and I watched his energy spark between his fingers. “No!  How are you alive?!”

The chill that ran up my spine made me stiffen. “What?” I asked in a quiet voice.  Ice slid through my veins.

“I—I watched you fall,” Chaos explained.  My heart threw itself against my chest. “I watched you—you—,” he struggled to break through his nerves. “You died.”

I stopped breathing.  My chest tightened to the point that my heartbeats were restricted. “You remember,” I managed to say in a lowered tone. “You remember?” I repeated louder and more forceful.  My chest loosened but my heart was doing fucking flips in my chest.

“I re—?” he stopped to scoff. “How could I forget?  You—You fell to your death last night.  There was no way you could have survived and yet you’re here?  How is that even possible?” he asked and I could hear anger in his tone.  He was trying to mask the obvious confusion and fear that was given away by his shaking hands.  His body suddenly relaxed and he scoffed loudly. “Your ability.  That’s what you’ve been hiding.”

“I wasn’t hiding it.  It’s not like your trick where you can just flash it around whenever you feel like it.  It’s—complicated,” I replied sternly.

“I can’t believe it,” he whispered as he shook his head.

“Says the one who has lightning bolts attached to his hands,” I snapped and he curled his fingers to make fists and stop the tiny bolts of electricity that danced along his skin. “Don’t be such a hypocrite, Chaos.”

“Mysterion—,” he said in a lowered voice as he took a step forward.

“Tell me why you tried to save me,” I demanded with a stern voice. “Because none of this makes sense to me.  You make no sense.  Last night you told me I wasn’t ready to know what’s going on.  The time before that you said that it would all make sense eventually, as if there’s some big secret you know but I don’t.  So, what the hell is it?” Chaos pinched his lips together.  My patience was wearing incredibly thin. “Speak, Chaos!”

“Enough,” he said with a small sigh and slowly shook his head. “Just—enough.”

“You don’t tell me when it’s enough,” I growled. “Just tell me the truth.”

“I can’t,” Chaos whispered.

“Tell me!” I shouted.

“I can’t!” he screamed back and panted heavily.  His eyes flashed the bright violet. “That’s enough asking, Mysterion.”

I scowled.  The sudden shift in the energy from Professor Chaos made my back tingle.  I didn’t notice through my frustration that the energy from Chaos had calmed during our interaction until it become wild and unstable once again.

I grinded my teeth together.  The sudden shift of his energy made the air dense.  I exhaled heavily and spun around. “Where do you think you’re going?” Chaos asked in a low growl.

I stopped and my shoulders shrugged up to my ears. “I’m done.  I’m done dealing with you,” I muttered quietly.

“What the hell do you—?” he started to ask but I spun back around and interrupted him.

“I’m done!  Whatever it is that you want with me, I will no longer entertain you.  And if you decide to lash out against this city, I will not hesitate to kill you, Professor Chaos,” I warned him.  Anger formed on his face.  I felt a lump form in my throat. “Disappear or I will put a stop to you once in for all.”

“Mysterion,” he said in a low voice.

“Goodbye, Professor Chaos,” I growled in a low voice.

When I turned again, I didn’t stop as he shouted after me as loudly as he could.  I wasn’t sure what it was that was making me move, but I wasn’t stopping.  I walked to the edge of the rooftop and jumped off.

Ever wonder how much you can push a person before they reach their limit?  Before they finally snap?  Well, apparently…I reached mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit themightypookums.tumblr.com for original artwork by yours truly!


	6. Points of Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How normal is normal? From the moment I walked away, I thought, "I want things to go back to normal". Whatever the hell that meant. Was normal before I realized I was immortal? Before I met Chaos? Maybe everything after was normal. Maybe normal was just some made up word with no real meaning to get people to feel better about themselves. Maybe...Maybe...
> 
> Who am I kidding? I just want to beat the shit out of some bad guys. That's all I really want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> Enjoy!

I didn’t think it was possible, but I managed to avoid Professor Chaos for a little under a month.  It was nearing the end of October.  The temperature had dropped dramatically and I found myself spending my nights doing nothing more than pursuing small time criminals like I did back at the beginning.  Back before Chaos and the whole damn confusion.  It was what I wanted.  It was what I thought I needed, but I couldn’t stop thinking.  I couldn’t get him off my mind.  It was infuriating.

“With a flick of your wrist, the claws expand to lock into place,” Kyle explained as he demonstrated with the new toy he received in the mail.  A metal grappling hook with foldable claws and attached rope. “You’ll need a harness too.”

“Does this really seem necessary?” I asked and sunk further into the couch as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“How much faster is this going to make you?” Kyle asked in return. “You won’t have to climb ladders or worry about gaps, you can just use this to get around.”

“Seems—,” I started to protest again.

“Like a good idea,” Stan finished for me and climbed over the back of the couch with a bowl of assorted fruit to plop down beside me. “Think about how efficient you’ll be now.”

“Yeah, and efficiency is what strikes fear into others,” I replied with narrowed eyes.

“It is, why else do you think he’s so terrifying?” Stan said through a piece of honeydew melon as he pointed his fork at Kyle.

Kyle tapped his nose and then pointed back at his friend before tossing the hook and rope to me.  I caught it and turned it over in my hand to examine it.  It was light which meant it wouldn’t weigh me down at the hip.  He was right, it would make me faster. “It’s not a terrible idea,” I muttered quietly.

Stan smacked my back harshly and practically knocked the wind out of me. “There you go!  Optimism!” He cheered loudly.  I rolled my eyes. “I haven’t seen optimism from him in weeks.”

The buzzer next to the door rang.  Kyle was in the kitchen, unaware of the noise, and Stan looked at me as he pressed the tip of his fork against his nose with a wide grin.  I rolled my eyes again, placed the grappling hook next to me on the cushion, and stood up to walk over to the intercom. “Hello?” I spoke as I pressed the button.  There was nothing but the sound of the soft wind.  I turned my head to look back at Stan and he shrugged his shoulders.

“Butt dial?” He joked with a grin.  I scoffed.  I started to move back to sit back down next to Stan but stopped when there was heavy banging on the unit door.  Stan and I shared another confused look with each other.

“Kenny!” Karen shouted from the other side.  Stan quickly grabbed the grappling hook to hide it, swearing under his breath as he did. “Come on, I know you’re in there.”

“Did you know she was coming?” Stan asked as I walked over to the door.

“No fucking clue,” I answered and opened the door.  Karen looked up at me with a wide, toothy smile.  Everyone always says we have the same smile along with a few other features.  Same eyes, same hair, and even same laugh.  Karen suddenly moved and threw her entire weight at me.  I nearly fell over as she wrapped her arms around me to hold me and squeezed me tightly. “Karen, what the hell are you doing here?” I asked under my small chuckle.

Karen tilted her head back to smile up at me from under the brim of her baseball cap.  All teeth.  Every time. “Aren’t you happy to see me?” She asked.

“Of course I am, I’m just surprised,” I answered as I pushed some hair from her face and hugged her back.

“It’s the weekend, I don’t have any homework except a book to read, and I was getting restless at home,” she explained but I knew exactly what that meant.  She let go of me and stepped around to enter the apartment. “Hey Stan.”

“Hey Karen, I didn’t know you were visiting,” he said with a small grin.  It was different than ones he normally had.  I shut the door behind me and watched as Karen removed her bag to toss it aside and sat down next to Stan, jostling him and making him giggle quietly.  She reached over to steal a piece of pineapple from his bowl and he didn’t protest.  He just watched with that odd grin.

“No one knew,” she answered and took her hat off to reveal her sandy blonde hair underneath.  It was slightly greasy and thin.  It was obvious she hadn’t showered in a while, or slept by the small dark circles under her eyes. “That’s why it’s called a surprise.”

“Is that Karen?” Kyle asked as he leaned through the window to the kitchen. “Karen!”

“Hiya Kyle,” Karen turned to say and draped over the back of the couch. “Still short, I see.”

“Still the devil reincarnated, I see,” Kyle retaliated with and both of them laughed. “I missed you girl.”

“South Park is pretty quiet nowadays without its registered hooligans to create chaos,” Karen explained and Stan chuckled.

“No one’s come along to fill our spots yet?” Kyle asked as he stepped out of the kitchen with a can of soda in his hand. “That’s kind of upsetting actually,” he added and stood next to me. “Why are you standing?”

“Huh?” I asked as I quickly spun my head around to face him.  I had been watching my little sister without thinking about anything else.  She looked thin and tired.  I wanted to ask her how things were, what was going on, but I knew she’d never tell me what was going on at home because she would worry that I’d come running.  I’d always come running, but I didn’t need her to tell me anything.  I had seen it before.  I had lived it.  The neglect of living in that damn house.

Kyle frowned, his eyebrows were furrowed together, but he didn’t respond.  He turned to face the couch where Stan and Karen sat. “Let’s go out for dinner tonight.  Wherever you want to go, Karen,” he explained and my little sister beamed with happiness. “Kenny will buy.”

“Huh?” I said again a bit louder than the previous.

Kyle chuckled. “Can I clean up first?” Karen asked and everyone’s attention was on her. “The bus left me all gross.”

“Come on,” I spoke up. “Let’s go, little bird.” Karen quickly grabbed her bag and followed me up the stairs to the bathroom.  The water spat out from the shower head with a bit of struggle at first.  Karen removed her sweater and I turned to see the bruise just above her elbow.  I didn’t try to hide the fact that I was staring at it when she turned to face me.

“Don’t look at me like that, big brother,” she said sternly.

“I’d say it’s nice to see that things haven’t changed, but I wish that they would,” I replied in a low voice.

“Come on, Kenny, you know he’s never going to change,” Karen explained with a roll of her eyes.

“Has—Has he—?” I tried to ask but couldn’t bring myself to say the words.  My hands shook at my sides.  It was like my worst nightmare come true.  I woke up from my sleep some nights because of them.

Karen frowned. “Kenny, no,” she snapped. “He’s grabbed me, he’s yelled at me, but he’s never hit me.  He’s left a bruise but he’s never hurt me.  As much as I don’t want to say it, he’s smarter than that.  He doesn’t hurt me or mom.” I let out a long sigh of relief.  Karen stepped up to me and patted my chest. “Stop looking so stressed out.  It doesn’t suit you.”

“Then stop stressing me out,” I retaliated.

Karen scoffed. “What kind of little sister would I be if I didn’t make you worry every minute of every day?” She joked with a wide smile.

“A good one,” I replied with a crooked grin.

“Wow, ouch, big brother,” she said with a small chuckle.

“Are you staying the night?” I asked, my hands shoved into the pockets of my sweater.

Karen shrugged her shoulders. “I was planning on it, but I don’t have to if—,” she started to say but I quickly shook my head and stepped forward to interrupt her.

“No, of course you can stay the night.  You can stay in my room,” I explained and Karen’s face brightened happily. “Now clean up.  Take your time,” I said as I reached out to gently brush some dirt on her cheek and then stepped around her.  I shut the door behind me and descended the stairs to the living room where Stan and Kyle were.

Kyle held up the grappling hook Stan took care of hiding and grinned at me. “You might want to hide this,” he explained.

I sighed loudly. “That and the rest.  Can I hide my costume in one of your rooms for the night?” I asked as I walked over to grab the piece of equipment from Kyle.

Stan shoved a piece of watermelon in his mouth and said, “Put it in my closet.”

“Yeah, no one will ever find it in that mess,” Kyle replied and Stan shot him a scowled look.

Karen picked a diner a few blocks away.  It was themed back to the retro days with black and white tile and metal tables.  A waitress with high waisted jeans and a polo greeted us at the door when the bell above our heads rang upon our entrance. “Just the four of you?” She asked.

I started to answer but Kyle interrupted. “Five!” He said loudly and made the waitress stare at him with confusion. “Our fifth is on his way,” he explained.

The waitress nodded. “Alright, come on,” she said and led us to the far side of the diner to a table that could seat up to six people.  Stan sat next to me as Karen and Kyle sat across from us, their backs facing the wall.  There was a closeness to Karen and Kyle that developed over the years.  Once middle school hit, I spent a lot of time taking care of Karen.  The drugs and alcohol abuse got worst for my parents and we were alone a lot since Kevin spent most of his time out doing stupid shit like stealing or trying to burn down the town.  Being alone so many times without food, we eventually turned to Kyle and his family and they took us in whenever we needed it without question. “I’ll come back in a bit to take your orders.”

“So, is Alex coming?” Stan asked Kyle from across the table, the biggest, goofiest grin formed on his face.

I gasped loudly and slapped my hand against the table. “Is Alex coming!” I shouted excitedly.  Alex had grown on Stan and I.  He was awkward which made him hilarious and loveable.  He made Kyle smile pretty much all the time which reason enough for Stan and I to love him.  He and Kyle were still together, though Kyle refused to admit out loud that they were a couple.  After the fourth or fifth date though, we knew it was more than just a fling or whatever else he wanted to call it.

“Who is Alex?” Karen asked curiously.

“Kyle’s boyfriend,” I answered with a wide grin.

“He’s not my boyfriend.  He’s just a friend,” Kyle answered the same way he always did when we’d say that.

“How many dates?” Karen turned her head to ask Stan and I.

I turned to face my raven-haired friend. “Eight?” I asked for verification.

Stan shook his head. “No, nine.  The tutoring session at the coffeehouse counts,” Stan explained and I hummed in agreement. “We all know there was no studying that happened.”

“I hate you both,” Kyle grumbled angrily.

“So, is he coming?” Karen leaned over to ask. “I’d love to meet the guy who single-handedly stole Kyle Broflovski’s cold, steel heart.”

“Rude, and he is not coming,” Kyle answered dryly. “And don’t give in to peer pressure just because he’s your big brother.”

Karen giggled.  Stan set down his menu to lean forward slightly. “If it’s not Alex then who is coming?” He asked.

Kyle sat back in his chair and grinned. “Who do you think?” He asked.

“Great, more surprises,” I replied and stood. “I’ll be right back.”

“Try not to get lost,” Stan said in a flat tone.

I tapped my hand against his shoulder and he looked up at me.  The bell above the door rang from across the diner. “You wanna come and hold my hand?” I asked.

Stan’s nose scrunched in disgust. “No, don’t be gross,” he said as he waved his hand to shoo me away.

I laughed and quickly spun around to slam against a body that let out a low grunt.  I instinctively reached out to grab at an arm and hand and that’s when I focused on the familiar yellow hair.  The smell of a light spritz of cologne that had a slight vanilla scent to it.  Bright, baby blue eyes. “Ah, sorry Kenny!” He said, his teeth flashed in a wide smile. “I—I didn’t mean to creep up behind ya.” His hand was soft in mine.  I unconsciously ran my thumb along the back of his hand along a spot that was particularly smooth.  He always had flawless skin, untouched and smooth. “Kenny?” He asked and I snapped out of my thoughts to quickly let go of him. “You alright?  You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine, Butters.  Sorry.  Just hungry,” I answered and shoved my hands into my pockets.

“Butters?” Karen spoke up behind me.  My shoulders went rigid.  I quickly stepped aside and turned. “Holy shit, it’s really you,” Karen said with disbelief and then turned to smack Kyle’s shoulder.

“Ow!  Wha—?” Kyle snapped as he leaned away holding the spot where he was hit.

“Why didn’t you guys tell me he was back?” Karen snapped as she stood and quickly stepped around the table to hug Butters.  He seemed startled at first and then hugged her back.  It was not what I was expecting.  I was expecting a lot more fire from my little sister.  She let go of Butters and smiled. “Come on, sit down.  I wanna hear about everything.”

Butters nodded and started to move to sit down.  Karen turned but stopped when she caught my eye and I suddenly saw the fire buried deep inside her.  I quickly turned away to continue in the direction of the bathroom.  The cold water against my face quickly brought back my senses.

_“This isn’t just some high school crush, Kenny!”_ Her loud voice pierced my mind from my memory. _“You can’t keep denying it, but you know you’re just lying to me, to everyone, and even to yourself.”_

I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair.  I was starting to feel the beginning of a headache in my temples.  I looked up from the porcelain sink and in my reflection in the small mirror in front of me I saw the faded outline of my hood and mask.  My heart raced in my chest.  I let out a soft, shaky breath as I held on tightly to the edges of the sink.  I stayed like that until I got control of my heart again.  The bathroom door clicked shut behind me as I left and I was immediately shoved back into it.

“Jesus, Karen,” I snapped.

“Why didn’t you tell me he was back?” Karen snapped back with much more ferocity.

“Keep your voice down,” I hissed quietly and leaned slightly to the side to see Kyle, Stan, and Butters deep in conversation at the table. “This right here might be a reason why I didn’t tell you,” I said as I gestured to my sister.

“It’s not funny, Kenny,” Karen retaliated, her voice lowered.

“Does it look like I’m laughing?” I replied equally annoyed.

Karen’s arms crossed over her chest and she shifted all her weight to one leg making her hip jut out slightly. “Wow, your mind must be royally screwed if it only took you a year to forget,” she explained sarcastically as she leaned against the wall next to the door to the woman’s bathroom.

“I didn’t forget—,” I started to snap back.

“Oh!  So you’re selectively a moron,” Karen retaliated quickly. “I thought that had come to an end when you grew up, but apparently not.”“

“Can you relax?” I snapped and let out a soft sigh as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

Karen frowned. “He left, Kenny,” she said in a low voice as she stepped towards me and put her hands on my shoulders. “He left you broken.”

“It’s not…that simple, Karen,” I replied in a quieted voice.

Her hands left my shoulders to perch on her hips. “Yeah?  How so?” she asked with bitterness igniting her tone.

“He didn’t know he broke it,” I replied sternly and I watched as Karen’s expression slowly softened. “He didn’t know then and he doesn’t know now and it’s going to stay like that, Karen.”

Silence passed over us as I watched her trying to work through everything in her head.  She let out a soft sigh and lifted her hand to push some hair behind her ear. “Fuck, Kenny.  Why do you have to be so damn sad about it?  It makes it a hell of a lot harder to be mad,” she explained and smiled up at me.  I chuckled softly and stretched my arms out in front of me to invite her into a tight embrace.

I returned to the table while Karen ducked into the bathroom.  Butters had taken the seat next to mine, his back facing me as I approached. “Ah!  Kenny!” Kyle said loudly as I pulled my chair out to sit down. “Okay, settle a debate.  Back in middle school, remember that group project we had to do on a famous inventor?” he asked and I let out a long sigh as I nodded. “Who was the inventor we studied?  He invented the gas mask.”

“His name was George,” Stan spoke up.

“It was not George!” Kyle retaliated.

“How the hell did this topic start?” I asked with furrowed eyebrows.

“It was something like Bennett,” Kyle said to Stan, ignoring my question.

“I think it started with Cartman,” Butters said beside me.  I turned my head to face him and he was leaning with his chin in his palm and his elbow on the table.  He smiled at me.  His wide, bright smile. “I’m not sure how we got to this though.”

“It was George,” Stan said sternly back.

“It was not,” Kyle retaliated sternly.

Butters turned his head to look away from me and the sunlight that stretched through the large window on the other side of him created a glow along the outline of his face and hair. “Wasn’t it Garrett?” he asked.

Kyle and Stan both turned their heads to look at Butters with equally confused expressions. “Garrett?  Come on, Butters,” Kyle said.

“He’s right,” I spoke up as I turned my head. “Garrett Augustus Morgan.  He was also technically the one who started traffic lights.” Everyone was staring at me.  It was almost as if I had just performed a really elaborate magic trick or something.  They looked impressed, especially Butters whose smile only grew. “What?” I snapped.

“Is Kenny the smart one in this moment?” Kyle asked and Stan shook his head.

“No, because if that’s the case then the end of the world must be upon us,” he replied and made Kyle and Butters laugh.

“You guys are assholes,” I growled as I rolled my eyes.

“Are you boys ready to order some food?” the waitress asked as she approached the table.

Kyle frowned. “Karen’s still in the bathroom,” he said in a worried tone.  He was basically a second big brother to Karen and I respected the shit out of him for being that for her.

“Don’t worry, she’ll eat anything,” I answered and turned to the waitress. “Let’s get her a strawberry milkshake, a burger with lots of ketchup, and fries.  I’ll have a burger with extra bacon on it, the largest cola available, and fries drizzled with gravy,” I ordered and then moved my eyes to look at Butters who was smiling at me again.  Stan started to order next. “What?” I asked suspiciously.

Butters quickly shook his head and turned his head away. “Nothin’, just thinkin’,” he said, his southern drawl dragged out in his words.  It wasn’t anywhere near as thick as it was when he was younger, but occasionally it would come out when he least expected it.

“I hope you’ll tell me what you’re thinking one of these days,” I said and leaned towards him. “I’d be interested to know what happens in your head,” I explained and pressed my finger against the space behind his ear.  He visibly shuddered at the touch and I couldn’t help but grin.

“What about you, hun?” the waitress asked as she gently touched Butters’ shoulder.

“Oh?  Oh!  Y—Yeah, I—uh—,” he stammered as he fumbled with his menu.

I felt the piercing gazes from across the table.  Kyle cleared his throat lightly.  I turned my head and he and Stan were both grinning at me.  I flashed them a glaring look and Kyle turned his attention to Butters. “So, Butters, catch up on your assignments yet?” Kyle asked and made the blonde’s shoulders tense. “They were piling on pretty heavy, right?”

Butters hummed lightly as he nodded. “Yeah, I put on a few extra classes this semester so I could hopefully finish the course off a bit sooner, but it’s a lot.  I’ve managed to get through most of the assignments but—,” he stopped and rubbed his knuckles together nervously. “There’s this project, it’s a big part of our overall grade.”

“What’s the project?” Stan leaned forward to ask.

Butters exhaled sharply. “It—It’s a portrait, you see.  I have to make a portrait of someone,” he explained. “It’s not due until the end of the semester, but it’s a big project and I haven’t even managed to get a subject to paint,” he finished explaining and leaned forward slightly in his seat.

I looked up across the table to see Kyle smile at me wickedly and then turned his head to share that smile with Stan who responded with an identical one.  My eyebrows furrowed together.  _Were they sharing the same thought?_   Kyle turned to face Butters as he reached across the table to touch one of his fidgeting hands. “Butters, why don’t you paint Kenny?”

“Huh?” Butters lifted his head to ask.

“What?” I asked right along side him.

Kyle grinned. “Well, he’s the one with the most open availability.  Plus, I guess he’s pretty good looking from time to time if he puts some effort into it,” he explained.

I scoffed. “You just have to ask me out, Kyle, I’ll treat you nice,” I teased the red head.  He rolled his eyes but continued to grin.

“Would you Ken?” Butters suddenly asked and I felt a hand on my arm.  I quickly spun my head around to face wide, bright blue eyes.  It wasn’t fair that he had those eyes.  They were my god damn kryptonite. “It would help so much.”

I felt a tug in my chest.  A foot kicked me under the table.  I wasn’t sure if it was Kyle or Stan who kicked me.  I smiled. “Yeah, okay, I’ll do it,” I answered and Butters’ face lit up.  He shifted his hand to grab mine and I froze.  His hand was so damn soft.  Karen sighed as she sat back down next to Kyle and leaned her head against him.  The connection between Butters and I suddenly disappeared and I instantly missed the connection. “So hungry,” Karen whined.

“Food is coming, little bird,” I replied as Kyle gently patted her hand.

She let out a soft groan and then was suddenly jolted upright.  Everyone’s heads turned to face their attention to her as she had a wide smile on her face. “Have you guys seen Mysterion yet?” she asked and Stan started on a coughing fit from the glass of water he was sipping.  I gently patted his back and he waved everyone off. “Come on, you guys have been living here for over a year and you haven’t seen him?”

“Why are you so interested in him?” I asked flatly.  Practically every phone call I had with her over the year had some conversation about Mysterion in it.  She was obsessed with him.

Karen scoffed. “You’re kidding, right?  A real life superhero?  Who wouldn’t be interested!  Craig and Tweek said he’s been cleaning up Denver and pissing off the police,” she explained.

“Craig and Tweek?” I asked, my eyebrows furrowed together.  South Park’s star gay couple that paved the way for people like Kyle and I.

Karen shrugged her shoulders. “I hang out with Tricia a lot so I see them occasionally.  They haven’t changed much,” she explained and kicked me in the shin. “So!  Have you seen him?”

I frowned. “No,” I replied as I rubbed at the new sore spot on my leg, “and you shouldn’t get so hung up on him.  He’s a moron who runs around in tights chasing bad guys.  Only a mental person would do that.”

Kyle snorted from across the table.  I looked up to glare at him and he hid his small grin behind his water glass. “I don’t know, I think he’s brave.  Crime has gone down a hell of a lot since he showed up,” Stan explained with a small grin formed on his face.

“He’s just in it to attract attention.  Why else would anyone willingly put their life on the line like that?” I asked.  Kyle’s eyebrow lifted.  He was curious as to why I was saying what I was saying, but I didn’t want Karen idolizing a side of me that was so stupidly self centred.  Why did I go out as Mysterion?  I still couldn’t understand it myself.

“I don’t think that’s it,” Butters suddenly spoke up beside me.  Everyone’s attention turned to him.

“What’s that, dear Butters?” Kyle asked as he put his elbows on the table and leaned forward slightly.

“There is no bad in Mysterion,” he said and I could hear the sincerity in his voice as he stared down at his hands. “I think he’s doing what he’s doing because he has to, not because he wants to.  He’s wired to want to help people.  He’s not selfish, he’s probably the most selfless person ever born.  He puts his life on the line every night for complete strangers and that makes him…absolutely amazing.”

An eerie silence hung in the air.  I could feel my heart doing flips and tricks in my chest.  He wasn’t talking about me.  I had to keep telling myself that.  He wasn’t talking about me.  At least, he didn’t know he was talking about me, but his words made me so happy.  Kyle made a noise from across the table. “Wow Butters, it almost sounds like you might have a crush on the guy.” Butters’ eyes widened as he quickly lifted his head.  Stan did something under the table that forced a sharp yelp from him and made Karen giggle. “What?  I’m kidding!  Butters, dude, you know I’m kidding, right?”

“Idiot,” Stan muttered as he shook his head.

“Can you blame him?  I bet under the mask and spandex he’s super h—,” Karen started to say but I quickly stood, almost knocking my chair backwards, as I reached out to clamp my hand over her mouth to stop her.

“Ah!  No!” I shouted and hummed angrily in the back of my throat. “Enough.”

Kyle and Stan chuckled for a reason only they and I knew about.  I sat back down when Karen rolled her eyes.  I turned my head to look back over at Butters and he was rubbing his knuckles together again.  His gaze was down and there was the smallest smile on his face that made me curious.  _What was it that was on his mind that made him so happy?_

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

“Wait, you’re not going out, are you?” Stan asked as I opened the trunk shoved into his closet. “Karen’s downstairs.”

“She’s asleep.  She won’t even know I’m gone,” I explained and started to change.

“What if she wakes up and catches you coming back?  You know she’s not going to be as forgivable as us when she finds out you’ve been lying to her,” he explained and shifted to sit at the end of his bed. “And she’s gonna be a wreck when she realizes her celebrity crush is really her big brother.”

I quickly spun around to point at him as he grinned at me. “Do not talk about that ever again.  I am warning you, Stanley,” I snapped.  Stan chuckled.  He rubbed his eye and yawned loudly. “You should get some sleep.”

He shook his head. “No, Kyle went to bed already and you need someone to stay up with you,” he answered and moaned tiredly.

“Stan, it’s fine,” I said and pulled the shirt of my costume over my head. “Go to bed.  I can handle it on my own for one night.”

Stan chuckled lightly. “Of course you can,” he replied and looked up at me with a wide grin. “You’re the great Kenny McCormick.”

“Uh ugh,” I said disapprovingly and tapped my finger against the large green M on my chest.  He rolled his eyes.

He was asleep on top of his blankets before I left.  I took the quilt he kept folded in his closet to drape over him before I crawled out of his window into the cold night.  I decided to keep myself moving as much as possible.  Without Stan or Kyle to keep an eye on the news and social media for me, finding crime would be harder on my own.  It was weird how reliant I became on them without even realizing it.  It wasn’t just monitoring either.  I relied on Stan to patch me up when I was hurt.  I relied on Kyle to improve me with thicker material and grappling hooks.  I relied on both of them to keep me upright when I wanted to fall over, curl in a ball, and give up.  That was a lot of the time, especially when I found myself totally lost and confused about who the hell I was.

“Come on, hurry up!” I heard a young woman shout from below as she led her small group of friends into the theatre.  Twice a month the theatre would show late night blockbuster movies from older decades.  It was a huge attraction for people of all ages.  I stepped up to the edge of the rooftop I was on to read the list of movies they were playing that night.  The romance was Ghost, the comedy was Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and the horror was The Silence of the Lambs.  I kind of regretted putting on my uniform for the night.  It would have been nice to take a night off to do something fun for once.  But the strange thing was, being Mysterion was fun for me.

I wandered for over an hour with no result which was pretty normal in the past month.  I even went five whole nights in a row without having to deal with a single bad guy.  It was just past midnight and I was bored out of my fucking mind.  All I wanted was some dumb criminal to beat up.  Someone to chase.  Someone to bring justice to.  As I stood on the roof of the long factory building I suddenly had a face pop in my mind.

“Ugh, no,” I groaned as I rubbed my head through my hood. “I do not miss that lying bastard.  I don’t.”

I could practically hear Kyle and Stan’s voice in my mind telling me I was a liar.  I groaned and ran my hands over my face when I felt the familiar energy I had felt so many times before.  It wrapped around me and made the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stand on end.  It was such a familiar feeling, but there was something strangely off about it.  I lowered my hands, my eyebrows knitted together, as I turned in the direction of where it was coming from.

“Why have you come back now, Chaos?” I asked quietly.  After so long with no sign of him, it made my hands shake at my sides.  Our last interaction was less than friendly and I intended to keep my word of not entertaining him anymore.  I told him to disappear and he did.  I turned away with a sharp exhale but stopped.  I wanted to walk away but there was that damn nagging voice in the back of my head telling me if I did and he was doing something bad, I would be letting him get away with it.  I would regret it. “Ah, fuck,” I swore and my cape rustled loudly as I spun around.

I moved quickly and instinctively.  Moving across rooftops was becoming something I let my body do, not my mind.  The only thought I had was to get to him.  There would be nothing said, not before I’d start swinging at least.  I stopped at the edge of the large, flat rooftop of another factory.  The energy was thick.  I was getting close.  I moved further but stopped near the centre of the building.  The energy had suddenly disappeared and it was too dark to see anything.  The streetlights were too low to cast any light on the rooftop but the full moon gave just enough of a glow that I could see outlines and dark figures.

“Where the hell are you, you son of a bitch?” I muttered quietly.

Have you ever stood in a dark room and felt like someone was standing behind you?  It’s that feeling that creeps up your back and clings to the base of your skull, sending your adrenaline into overtime.  That’s the feeling.

The air was eerily silent and thick with tension.  I started to turn towards the soft sound behind me but suddenly stopped.  I hadn’t meant to but it felt like cables had wrapped around me from my feet to my shoulders to hold me in place.

“What the—?” I started to ask and then I was suddenly flying through the air until my back slammed against the wall of the stairwell that stuck out from the top of the building.  I let out a loud groan in pain and the invisible cables that were wrapped around me kept me pinned against the flat surface, suspending me in the air to keep my feet from touching below me. “Fuck!”

“Such vulgar language, Mysterion,” a deep voice said and I felt the energy again as someone stepped from the shadows.  I had to squint to strain to see through the darkness as the figure stepped close enough for the glow from the moonlight to allow me to see them.  They wore a long trench coat and a plain white mask to hide the top half of their face, including their eyes.  They stood far too tall to be Professor Chaos in disguise, but the energy was coming from them. “Unexpected from a superhero.”

“Who—Who are you?” I snapped as I strained against the invisible binds across my body. “How are you doing this?”

“The same way that you can’t die.  And that you can heal faster than any normal person.  And how you can punch through a solid brick wall if you wanted to,” the masked man explained and my eyes instinctively widened.

“How—?” I started to ask.  My voice gave away to my nerves.

“I know quite a lot about you.  Most of it discovered when you had a different face and a different name,” he explained.  Confusion formed inside me along with nerves that bundled in my throat.  The man in front of me was dangerous, I could feel it in his energy.  Chaos was dangerous as well, but there was something soft to his energy, like he was scared to use his strength and held back at every opportunity.  Not with this man.  He wasn’t scared.  He was just dangerous.

“What the hell does that mean?” I asked in a low growl.

The man chuckled quietly. “Interesting, it’s almost as if you don’t know anything,” he said and I scowled at him.  I was still trying to get myself loose from the binds, but it made it impossible when I couldn’t see them. “Maybe you don’t know anything.  Curious.”

“Agh!  Just let me go!  I’ve had enough of useless talk!” I shouted angrily. “You bad guys are all the same.  Annoying pricks.”

The man chuckled again but there was something sinister in it that time.  It sent a wave of chills up my spine. “You’re so much more full of spirit than the last one.  That should make this far more interesting,” he explained.

I scoffed loudly. “Look, I don’t know who the hell you are or what the hell you want, but I really don’t want to listen to you talk anymore.  You’re boring and uninteresting,” I explained as I rested my head back against the wall.

“Well, you know me a few unofficial ways.  We’ve met as one.  You may have heard me often as the Arachna Gang leader.  And now there is this,” he explained, his arms stretched out at his sides dramatically.

I tilted my head forward, my eyebrows furrowed together.  It took me a moment to figure out what the hell he was saying.  The Arachna Gang was familiar.  I had heard it a few times. “You—You are the leader whose been sending those gang members after me?  Why?” I asked confusingly.

“Because I want you to join me, like you always should have,” the man explained in a lowered voice. “It’s fate that you should be by my side.”

I was full of confusion.  It was like the guy was speaking in riddles or some shit.  Nothing made sense and yet he talked as if it should have.  Nothing made fucking sense!

“Dr. Wrath!” a startlingly familiar voice screamed from across the rooftop.  The masked man turned and I could see the sparks of electricity glow through the dark from around twitching fingers.  Eyes glowed bright violet.

“Ah, Professor Chaos, I heard you had come back,” the man now named Dr. Wrath said as if they had met before.  As if they knew each other.

“Let him go, Wrath,” Chaos spat angrily.

Dr. Wrath scoffed. “Or what?  Are you going to zap me with your lightning bolts?” he asked in a menacingly teasing tone. “You’re weak without Life to protect you, Death.”

I noticed the intense twitch of Chaos’ hand at his side.  There was something about the way Wrath said his words that made me understand and yet lost all at the same time.  I couldn’t be sure why, but I didn’t trust Dr. Wrath.

“Let him go!  I’m not going to ask again!” Chaos shouted.  His tone was full of anger.  I could feel the heavy tension between them.

Dr. Wrath chuckled and waved his hand at his side. The binds suddenly disappeared and I was falling.  I landed hard on my feet but couldn’t keep my legs underneath.  I collapsed to my knees and panted lightly suddenly not feeling the constriction across my chest.  I was free, but for how long?  Dr. Wrath’s heavy footsteps moved towards me and then he crouched to meet my level.  My skin tingled.  My fight or flight response kicked in and all I wanted to do was flail my arms like a mad man as I ran for the edge of the rooftop. “Listen to me, Mysterion.  I know who you are,” he explained in a lowered voice.  I quickly lifted my head to scowl at him as best I could from under my mask and hood. “I know your real name and that means I know how to make your life very difficult.  I know who to go after in this world to make you bend.  So, save us both the hassle and agree to work with me.”

I felt a rock sink in my stomach.  He couldn’t have known who I was.  There was no way.  I was so careful and never switched between my personas unless I was home.  He had to have been lying, and yet I couldn’t shake the solid feeling in my stomach that made me want to throw up.

I had to get the conversation away from me.  I had to find out more about who this man was. “Work with you?” I asked and scoffed harshly. “Work with you for what?”

“To bring justice to this world.  True justice that no one can give them.  Divine punishment for those who deserve it,” Wrath explained and with him so close I suddenly realized, I had met this man before.  I didn’t know exactly where or who he was, but I had met him.  My heart slammed against my chest at the thought. “Help me cleanse this world, one city, one country at a time.”

“You’re a fucking lunatic,” I said in a low voice. “You’re crazier than him,” I added as I gestured towards Chaos still standing in the distance.

“Mysterion, you have to get away from him!” he shouted from across the rooftop.

“I will do this, with or without your help.  But if you choose to help me, then I will spare the people you care about.  I will make sure they are safe,” Dr. Wrath explained and grinned.  He fucking grinned.

My heartbeats that had been echoing in my ears suddenly stopped.  Silence. “I make sure they’re safe,” I snapped in response.  I was suddenly on my feet and Dr. Wrath took a hesitant step back. “I protect them, not you, Dr. Psycho.”

The rush of adrenaline forced my fist forward to impact with the man’s chest but my knuckles impacted with something that exploded and blew me back.  I crashed through the stairwell to send brick and metal everywhere.  The impact should have hurt a lot more than it did but it felt like I had been hit on the back with a book or something.  It stung, but it didn’t hurt.  I skipped like a stone hitting the surface of a body of water.  The force flung me across the building and I didn’t stop until I grabbed onto the edge of the rooftop.  My body went over the edge, slamming against the side of the building to finally cease my velocity.  I let out a small groan and lifted my second hand to grab on to the edge with it.

“How the hell do these guys have really cool abilities and I’m stuck with living through a hundred more terrible Spiderman remakes?” I asked and struggled to pull myself back up onto the rooftop.  I needed a second wind if I was gonna get my ass up again after I rolled onto my back with a heavy sigh to stare up at the stars.  They were so bright and beautiful.

Electricity buzzed and explosions echoed across the rooftop. “You have been a thorn in my side since the beginning, Death!” Dr. Wrath shouted angrily. “I’m about to put an end to that annoying cycle.”

I turned my head to see Chaos standing his ground, his electricity dancing through his fingers, as Dr. Wrath stalked towards him.  Wrath’s hand twitched and I could hear something rumbling underneath the roof.  It started quiet.  I quickly sat up.  The rumbling was growing louder and the building started to shake violently.  I scrambled to my feet and let them carry me across the rooftop before my brain could fully comprehend what the hell was happening.  The rumbling grew more intense and then the large machine crashed through the roof behind me.  Debris flew everywhere, hitting me against my back, but I didn’t stop.  My body was moving faster and faster to pump the adrenaline in my veins harder.  I lunged forward to tackle Chaos as the large machinery came crashing down from above to fall through the rooftop, creating a second hole just beside where the two of us collapsed.

Dust and debris burst like a cloud from the impact to surround us.  When it settled, I forced myself to finally look up. “Are you alright?” Chaos asked from underneath me.  His voice was surprisingly low and quiet.  It was startling at first.

I was on my hands and knees above him to block any light from his face but I could hear the worry in his tone.  It was a genuine question. “Friend of yours?” I asked in my low growl.  I wanted to be mad at him.  _Why the fuck can’t I be mad at him!_

Chaos scoffed. “Not exactly,” he answered dryly.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Mysterion,” Dr. Wrath said.  Glass shattered nearby.  I looked over my shoulder as large shards of broken glass gathered around him to float at his sides. “But I will not hesitate to force your resurrection if you don’t get out of my way.”

“Oh shit,” I swore. “This is gonna hurt.”

An arm pressed to my side and I was suddenly pushed aside with surprising force.  Chaos quickly sat up and as the shards of glass flew towards us, large bolts of electricity shot from his outstretched hand.  The electricity exploded the pieces on impact, making them form into nothing more than dust.

“As soon as the shards are all dealt with, you need to hit him with everything you’ve got,” Chaos said over the noise to me but kept his focus on the barrage of dangerous pieces.

“I—I don’t—,” I started to say but he cut me off.

“I’m going to help you,” he interrupted. “I just need you to trust me.”

I scoffed. “Trust you?  After everything you’ve put me through?” I snapped angrily.

“Fine, don’t trust me.  Just trust yourself then and hit him,” he snapped back.  I visibly reeled back from his tone.  He was shockingly serious.

The last piece of glass blew away in a small cloud of dust and I pushed myself to charge across the space towards Wrath.  My footsteps were solid against the unstable rooftop as I planted myself and started to throw my fist.  That’s when I realized my glove covered in the familiar bolts of electricity.  They kissed my skin through the fabric, sending soft jolts of energy through my flesh to my muscles.  It was like the electricity was telling my body to move.  So, I didn’t stop.  My knuckles connected with that barrier again but instead of being blown back, the electricity from Chaos shattered the energy and I broke through to impact with Wrath’s chest.

I couldn’t be sure exactly what happened but I felt a sudden mixture of energy.  Mine, Chaos’, and Wrath’s mixed together into a ball that exploded across the entire rooftop.  My back smacked against the roof before I rolled into the hole that the large piece of machinery made.  I frantically reached out to stop myself but couldn’t escape the inevitable drop until my back slammed into a metal beam that hung from the ceiling of the building.  The impact was hard against my spine and my head.  My vision instantly blurred as I struggled to keep my mind awake but the blow was too much.  Unconsciousness took over and I was taken over by the darkness as the roof began to crumble down around me.  I had to get up.  I had to move, but there was no feeling.  There was no moving.  There were only the stars.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

“At this time, there is no definite reason as to why the building suddenly caught on fire, but officials have not ruled out foul play this early on in their investigation,” the reporter explained as video images of the factory displayed on the screen.  The factory where I fought Dr. Wrath with Professor Chaos was engulfed in flames.  It was an auto factory owned by one of the big wig companies so they no doubt had enough insurance to cover remaking the building three times bigger, but that wasn’t what bothered me.  What bothered me was everything that happened.  Another maniac with abilities but this one was a hundred times worst than myself or Professor Chaos.  He was dangerous and unfiltered.  That was apparent when he threw a ten-ton machine at Chaos without batting an eye.

“Jesus,” Kyle said as he crawled over the back of the couch to sit next to me. “Did you do that?”

There was no way I was going to be able to explain it without explaining everything I had been trying so hard to keep secret from him.  I forced out a loud scoff and shook my head. “That?  No way.  I was on the other side of town when that thing went up.  Wish I had been there to see it though.  There was absolutely nothing exciting about last night,” I lied.

Kyle sighed and leaned against me. “That’s no fun,” he muttered quietly.

I hummed lightly but didn’t respond beyond that.  I was still screwed up from what happened.  After I hit the steel beam I woke up to Kyle shaking me on the couch and snapping about me falling asleep in my Mysterion costume.  From the moment I woke, my skin itched and I felt like I was burning up from a fever.  It didn’t really make any sense to me until I saw the news.  It quickly became apparent that I had burned alive.  That was a terrifying realization.  What was even more terrifying was as I sat watching the flames all I could think was, “is Chaos alright?”

“Ugh,” I outwardly groaned and ran my hands along my face.  There was no doubt that Kyle was staring at me.

“Morning!” Karen said cheerfully as she jumped over the couch to land beside me on the opposite side of Kyle.  Her legs immediately went over my lap to place her feet in Kyle’s. “How’s it going, girls?”

Kyle leaned forward to look over at Karen with furrowed eyebrows. “Is that a gay joke?”

“No, that would be if I called you princess, Princess,” Karen replied with a wide grin.

“Your sister’s mean,” Kyle said to me.

“What sister?” I replied dryly and Karen gently tapped me against the chest with her knee.  Footsteps moved down the stairs and we all turned our heads to look up at Stan.  He was shirtless with his hair in a messy state from his pillow. “Hey!  Look who finally woke up!”

“Fuck off, I was tired,” Stan mumbled tiredly.

I chuckled as he turned to make his way towards the kitchen and that’s when I caught a glimpse of Karen’s expression.  She was tracking Stan, her bottom lip pinched between her teeth. “What the hell is that?” I asked in a low growl.

Karen turned her attention back to me and grinned. “What?” she asked and I scowled at her. “Come on, like you haven’t thought about hitting that before.”

“What?!” Kyle snapped loudly.

“Ew, Karen, for fuck’s sake,” I groaned.

She laughed loudly. “Sorry, I forgot you two are only faithful to your one loves,” she explained and snorted loudly. “What dorks.  Who actually believes in love?”

“And just when did you become such a pessimist on love, Karen?” Kyle asked curiously.

“When my two favourite brothers left me to live together in Denver, Colorado,” Karen answered with a crooked grin.

_“Listen to me, Mysterion.  I know who you are.”_ My heart raced in my chest.  Something knotted in my stomach.  I lifted Karen’s legs to quickly race off the couch.

“Kenny?” she called out after me as I rushed past the kitchen where Stan stood in the doorway.  I barely made it onto my knees on the floor before I was throwing up everything in my stomach.

_“I know your real name—.”_ My body shook as I held on to the edges of the porcelain toilet. _“I know who to go after in this world to make you bend.”_

The bathroom door clicked shut and I lifted my head slightly to look over as Stan crouched next to me.  He looked half awake but there was still worry. “You alright?” he asked, his hand on my shoulder.

I nodded slowly. “Yeah, I just felt really sick all of a sudden,” I answered and exhaled shakily. “Maybe it was something I ate yesterday.” I wasn’t sure where it suddenly came from.  The memory of Dr. Wrath’s words hit me hard and brought the sudden nausea with it.  My memory was always a little hazy after waking up from dying, but it had never hit like that before.

“Did something happen last night?” Stan asked with a low, groggy voice.

Wrath could have been lying just to get to me, but that didn’t help the fact that I knew him.  I still couldn’t figure out how, but I knew him.  My stomach churned and growled loudly.  I wasn’t sure what exactly I had left to throw up, but it was happening regardless.  Stan sighed and moved his hand to rub along my shoulder blades as I made loud disgusting noises that bounced off the bathroom walls. “I think I’m gonna die,” I groaned and my voice echoed inside the porcelain bowl I had my head inside.

“I doubt that’s what will finally kill you.  You’ll probably be killed by a falling piano or some stupid shit,” Stan joked and I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I mean really, nothing can kill the great Kenny McCormick.”

I know it was a joke.  He didn’t know any better but I couldn’t help the tears that formed in my eyes.  Nothing could kill me.  Nothing.  I could possibly live forever as everyone I knew grew old and died.  I wasn’t sure why but that thought alone terrified me.  A hand squeezed my shoulder and made me flinch.  It was Stan pulling me out of my haunting thoughts.  He gently patted my back before he pushed himself up to his feet.

“You should have a shower, you reek,” he explained.  I turned my head to look up at him.  His arms were crossed over his chest as he grinned at me. “You smell like smoke.”

I scoffed.  Of course I smelled like smoke.  I could feel it all wash away with the water that spat out of the showerhead.  I imagined the water was washing away more than just the layer of sweat that clung to my damaged, flawed skin.  With every knife cut and deep bruise my skin became more and more messed up.  Scars and burns scattered all over me.  I ran my finger over the space just beneath my left collarbone.  A long scar stretched from the middle of my chest to where my arm and torso met.  It was made during one of my first encounters with Chaos.  He sent one of his immobilizing bolts of electricity out at me but missed.  It struck a window, shattering the glass, and one of the shards caught me under the bone.  I remember watching the skin heal and thinking how strange it was how fast it did.  I had never really noticed it before, but I always healed quickly.  When my arm was broken back in middle school, the doctor said it’d take up to eight weeks to heal.  It healed in five.

_“The same way that you can’t die.  And that you can heal faster than any normal person.  And how you can punch through a solid brick wall if you wanted to,”_ Dr. Wrath’s words echoed around me.  I groaned as I leaned forward slowly until my forehead pressed against the cold tile wall.

“Where’d the Wonder Twins go?” I asked as I took the last step down into the living room.  Karen was sitting alone on the couch with the television on some cartoon I didn’t know and a book in her hands: Of Mice and Men.

“They said something about having to pick up books for school from Kyle’s work,” Karen explained as I walked over and sat on the couch at her feet.  She stretched them out onto my lap as she continued to read her book.

I used the towel draped around my neck to ruffle my damp hair. “Enjoying it?” I asked and reached out with my free hand to tap the book with my fingertip.

“It’s okay.  A little dry,” she answered. “We’re supposed to be watching for metaphors and foreshadowing and hidden meanings, but I can barely understand what’s going on.”

I laughed. “Yeah, I remember that.  I don’t think the writer ever intended for anyone to think about that kind of stuff while they read.  I think they just wrote to let people enjoy it, but everyone’s just taken it too far,” I explained and let go of my towel to run my fingers through my hair. “It’s like people.  Everyone wants to believe there’s something else hidden inside someone else, that there’s some different version hiding, but there isn’t.  People are black and white.  They are either selfish or selfless.  They’re either good or bad.  There’s no hidden meaning or metaphor.” I shifted my eyes to look over and Karen was staring over her book at me with quizzically furrowed eyebrows. “What?” I snapped.

My little sister gently shut her book and ran her hand over the cover. “Can I be honest?” she asked as she set her book aside to sit up, her legs crossed in front of her.

“When are you not?” I asked flatly.

“Little less sass, big brother,” she replied.  I rolled my eyes and scoffed. “There’s something different about you.  You used to act dumb, even though you weren’t.  You had so many thoughts inside your mind, but you always kept quiet, like you were always worried to let people see into your own head, but now all you do is say what you think.  It’s kind of refreshing to be honest.  You were always honest with me, but you had so many lies locked away, it was almost like you were suffering.”

Karen’s words wrapped around my neck like a noose and tightened.  I never lied to her.  While I walked around lying to everyone else, I didn’t lie to her, until the biggest secret of my life came up and I couldn’t tell her.  I lied.  For the first time ever, I lied, and it hurt.  It hurt to look at her bright eyes and see trust that I broke.

“But you’re still sad, Kenny,” Karen suddenly said and I felt the noose disappear.  My eyebrows furrowed together. “There’s a deep sadness to you, like there’s something missing, and I really hope you find it.  I hope you find your happiness, big brother.”

It wasn’t the first time she said that to me.  When Kyle and Stan stopped the truck in front of the house and came out to start carrying my boxes away, Karen grabbed my shoulders in the middle of my empty bedroom.  Her smile was crooked and a little uncertain, but there was happiness clouding it all.  She knew I had been struggling with the idea of moving ever since I agreed.  I didn’t like the idea of leaving her behind to deal with all the shit on her own.  I had always protected her.  That was my job, to protect her.

_“You knew this day was going to come eventually.  Don’t look so gloomy.  Go, find your happiness, big brother,”_ she said to me before she hugged me and shoved me out the door after Kyle and Stan.  She didn’t complain.  She didn’t try to stop me.  She just smiled and sent me on my way.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

“How’s the harness?” Kyle asked through my earpiece.

I adjusted one of the straps and hummed lightly. “It’s…different.  It will definitely take some getting used to,” I answered and bounced on the balls of my feet a few times.  The buckles made a soft rattling sound. “I can say goodbye to my stealth though.”

Kyle chuckled. “Were you ever really stealthy?  I mean, you literally screamed before you jumped off a rooftop once and took out like three robbers.”

“The important thing is that I took out the robbers,” I replied, ignoring the initial question asked.

I heard Stan snort quietly.  He was making popcorn.  I could hear the microwave whirring in the background with soft popping of the kernels. “Just try it, and don’t die.  As funny as it might be at first, we’d actually kind of miss you,” Kyle explained.

“Awe, I think that’s one of the nicest things you’ve ever said to me,” I replied with a swooning voice.  Stan chuckled a little louder.

“Who are you talking to?” a familiar voice asked.

“Is that—?” Kyle started to ask but I muted him as I quickly spun around.

Professor Chaos stood in the middle of the movie theatre rooftop.  He had his arms crossed over his chest as he stared across the open space at me and—wait, what is that?  _Is that—relief?  I do NOT feel relieved!  No!_   He shifted his weight and I could see the visible frown on his face.  _Ah, fuck._

“What the hell are you doing here, Chaos?” I snapped.  It was the only thing I could manage through my confusion.  I was angry and relieved.  I wanted to punch the shit out of him and yet I just wanted to tell him how happy I was to see he was alright.  _Fucking ridiculous._

“I needed to talk to you about what happened the other night,” he explained and his voice was so serious it kind of startled me. “I need you to understand what exactly happened.”

I scoffed loudly. “I need to understand?  How the hell am I supposed to understand any of this?  None of this makes sense and all I can think about is how you’ve been hiding something from me from the very beginning.  I don’t know what it is exactly, but it has something to do with you and that psycho, Dr. Wrath.”

“And you,” Chaos added.  My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “You are a large part of all this, Mysterion.”

“A part of what?” I snapped.

Chaos’ demeanour suddenly shifted.  He seemed nervous, like he was scared to keep going, but he did. “Something big that’s been going on for a very long time,” he answered.

I shook my head frantically. “No.  Enough with being cryptic.  Enough with the lies and the secrets.  Enough with it all, just tell me the truth,” I shouted angrily.

Chaos exhaled shakily. “Okay,” he replied in a low voice. “But for you to understand everything, you have to understand that this isn’t the first life you’ve lived.”

“What?” I asked confusingly.

“You have been around since the beginning.  Ever since the beginning, there has been Life,” Chaos explained.

“What—What is that?  Life?” I asked as I shook my head with a soft scoff.

“You carry the essence of life, Mysterion.”

_“I know quite a lot about you,”_ Wrath’s voice echoed in my head. _“Most of it discovered when you had a different face and a different name.”_

My chest tightened in painful knots.  I was struggling to breathe properly. “As long as there has been Life, there has also been Death,” Chaos continued. “And also Fate.”

_“It’s fate that you should be by my side.”_

“Stop!” I yelled and Chaos tensed. “Life?  Death?  Fate?  Who the hell would buy that bullshit?”

“Mysterion, it—,” Chaos started to say but I didn’t let him continue.

“I told you before that I’ve had enough with the lies.  I’ve had enough of you, Chaos,” I spat angrily. “Whatever this feud between you and Dr. Strange are, I don’t want to be a part of it.  Leave me out of it, but the moment you threaten anyone in this city, I’ll be coming after you both.”

“He won’t leave you alone, Mysterion.  You can’t just run.  You can’t hide.  There is no hiding from Fate,” Chaos explained and I noticed his voice quaver slightly.

My fingers wrapped around the grappling hook attached to my thigh.  With a flick of my wrist, the arms rolled out and I threw it down at my feet to catch the lip of the rooftop’s edge that I stood on. “Just watch me,” I replied and then leaned back to fall over the side of the building.

_Fate…what bullshit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit themightypookums.tumblr.com for original artwork by yours truly!


	7. Lies...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How many more people are there in the world with superpowers? Seriously! I mean, I shouldn't be surprised that I'm not the only one but COME ON! This is getting ridiculous! How is it that superhumans were impossible and then BAM! Three in the same city at the same time! No. There's no way it's coincidence. There's no way. There has to be some explanation that DOESN'T involve fate or destiny or some stupid shit like that. There's something going on, I know it. I'm gonna figure it out!  
> ...on my own...  
> ...eventually...
> 
>  
> 
> Ah, fuck...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> I want to thank EVERYONE who has been so supportive of Soulmates! You guys are all the best and make me so damn happy every single time I see a comment or kudos! You are all the absolute best!!
> 
> Enjoy!

_Token’s house was huge.  Music played loudly from inside, muffled by the walls. “It looks like everyone might be here,” Kyle said beside me.  He was still wearing his graduation robe as he walked between Stan and I._

_“I would hope so, it is graduation,” Stan replied.  He had tossed his robe aside but wore the cap crooked on his head. “Everyone’s looking to get drunk tonight.”_

_“Including you?” Kyle asked._

_“Especially me, dude!” Stan yelled and threw his arm around Kyle’s shoulders._

_I lost the Super Best Friends shortly after we passed through the front door.  I didn’t mind though once I found the beer.  I chugged half of it instantly and started to move through the house.  Most of the people where on the main level.  The living room had been turned into one large dance floor and I didn’t even want to imagine what was happening upstairs in the bedrooms._

_“Guys!  Ack!  Relax!” a familiar voice shouted over the music.  Tweek. “St—Stop, you’re gonna—!”_

_There was lots of movement nearby followed by a loud shout.  I turned just as bodies clashed together and someone fell back against me.  Instinct kicked in.  I wrapped an arm around them and quickly pulled them back from the rowdy crowd of drunk partiers.  They erupted in laughter._

_“Sorry Butters!” Craig drunkenly shouted from the middle of the rowdy crowd._

_Soft laughter came from the warm body in my arm.  I looked down and Butters turned his head to look up at me. “They’re really enjoying themselves,” he said with a wide smile.  He looked pale but his cheeks had a small touch of pink.  It was obvious he had been drinking. “Kenny?”_

_“Huh?” I asked confusingly._

_Butters chuckled lightly. “You wanna let me go, buddy?” he asked._

_“Uh,” I said, my voice shook as realization hit me.  My arm was wrapped around his waist and his lithe body was pressed against mine. “S—Sorry,” I apologized and quickly let go of him._

_“It’s okay,” Butters said and his hand touched my chest. “Thanks for the help.”_

_I cleared my throat and nodded as I stepped away.  His smile was so damn bright.  Always so fucking bright, it hurt._

I sighed as I stared up at the building.  It was a little rundown and small but that wasn’t my focus.  My focus was why I was there. “This is stupid,” I muttered to myself.  The metal panel in front of me had five buttons, one for each floor of the building. “Why did I agree to do this?” I lifted my hand to touch my finger against the middle button but didn’t press. “Agh, dammit Kenny!” I shouted and pulled my hand away to bury my fingers in my hair.  I spun around and almost ran into two women passing by on the sidewalk. “Ah, sorry.  Sorry,” I apologized with a small, nervous chuckle. “Oh, Butters, why don’t you paint Kenny?” I said in a mocking tone as I turned back around to face the panel again. “Stupid Kyle and his stupid ideas and stupid—face,” I muttered, my arms crossed tightly over my chest.  I stared at my reflection in the window and frowned.  I was a mess.  My hair hadn’t been cut in a while and it pointed everywhere.  My skin was covered in a mess of freckles and I had crooked teeth that should have been corrected with braces years ago but like that was ever going to happen. “I am not a model.  I am a terrible choice of someone to paint,” I said as I lifted my hands to flatten my hair against my head. “Why did I agree to this?” I groaned and dug my fingertips into my scalp as I ruffled my hair violently. “Why?  Why?  Why!”

“Kenny?”

“Ah!” I screamed and spun around. “Hey, Butters,” I said and cleared my throat when I noticed the pitch skyrocket.

“What are ya doing?” he asked.  He was grinning wide like he was enjoying the fact he just caught me in an embarrassing act.

“Uh, I was—,” I started to say but stopped myself.  _What the hell was I doing?_ “Um, am—am I early?”

Butters shook his head. “No, I just ran out quickly to grab some supplies,” he explained as he lifted the small plastic bag he was holding.  His hands were covered with different coloured splatters of paint and there were even a few tiny spots on his face that I hadn’t noticed. “Come on, follow me.”

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat but it didn’t leave.  I decided against trying to respond.  The inside of the building was a little dark and the elevator was broken.  I followed Butters up the stairs to the third level where he opened the door to his apartment.  It was brightly lit with the noon sunlight through the large windows that covered the adjacent wall to the door.  Immediately to the left was a small kitchen and to the right was a bathroom.  The living room and bedroom were an open concept with a half wall to split them apart.

“Just leave your shoes on the mat,” Butters explained.  He had already removed his shoes and was crossing the room.

I set my shoes beside his and stepped further into the unit.  Butters’ living room was like one giant art studio.  There was an easel in the corner with a large canvas on it half painted.  Art supplies were on the floor and on the table next to the small stool in front of it where Butters was putting away the supplies he had just bought.  Two chairs were next to the half wall and the long table between the living room and the kitchen was covered in paintings, drawings, and books.  I tried to keep my attention away from the bedroom but it was difficult when there was nothing to block my view.  The bed was covered in textbooks and notebooks with a laptop in the middle of it all.  The closet was merely a clothing rack you’d see at a store and a tall dresser.

 “Sorry about the mess,” Butters said as he turned to face me and I scoffed.

I shoved my hands into the pockets of my sweater. “You’re apologizing to me about a mess?” I asked jokingly. “Do you even know me?” I added and walked over to the table covered in projects.

Butters shrugged his shoulders.  His mouth was turned up slightly in a small smile but it was reserved. “I don’t know.  A lot can change in a year,” he replied and slowly sat down on the stool in front of his easel.

His bright blue eyes were locked on me.  I felt nervous under his intense stare as he watched me move slowly beside the table to admire the works of art scattered along the surface.  I stopped moving to let my fingertips touch the rough bumpiness of a painting of a tree covered pathway in the middle of leaf changing autumn.  The eyes were still glued to me.  I lifted my gaze from the table to look over at him.  I noticed his shoulders tense but he quickly rolled them back as he sat up straight.  He was so different than I remembered him back in school.  He used to be so small and fragile looking.  He couldn’t hold anyone’s gaze without apologizing and looking away but he held mine so intensely in that moment that I felt my heart try to escape through my throat.  He was so different.  There was more colour to his skin and he had muscle.  He was no longer skin and bones that made me scared to touch him because I felt like he was snap in half at the tiniest bit of pressure.  He was so different.

“Yeah, you’re telling me, Buttercup,” I replied in a low voice.

_“How much have you had to drink?” Kyle asked._

_I chugged the last of my fifth beer.  That mixed with the couple of shots I took with Craig and Clyde, I was drunk. “Not enough,” I answered dryly._

_“Kenny, you have to pull yourself together man.  You don’t hold your liquor very well, especially when you’re emotional,” he explained quietly._

_I scoffed.  We were outside in Token’s backyard sitting on the steps of his porch.  Stan and Butters were inside getting themselves another drink.  Kyle decided to take that time to confront me finally.  I know he had been wanting to do it all day and when I snapped with the thickest sarcastic remark towards everyone, that was his final straw.  He knew why I was struggling to keep my attention on the graduation.  Why I barely smiled while everyone else was on cloud nine.  He knew the reason wasn’t because my father didn’t show.  He knew it wasn’t because my mom and Karen left early because my mom needed a fix.  None of that was the reason.  The reason came from someone else entirely._

_“I’m fine,” I growled back.  Alcohol did a great many things to me, including making me extremely stubborn._

_“You’re not fine,” Kyle replied and grabbed my wrist to give it a tight squeeze. “Kenny, I’m gonna miss him too, but you’ve got to tell him.  Tell him before it’s too late.”_

_“Tell him what?” I replied as I stood.  The sudden movement removed my wrist from his grip.  I took a few stumbling steps forward but caught myself. “There’s nothing to say to him,” I added as I spun around dramatically on my heel._

_“If you don’t tell him, you will regret it,” Kyle replied and pushed himself to his feet to stand on the step.  For once he was taller than me and that made drunk me want to giggle a bit, “and I don’t want to have to put up with that shit,” he explained bitterly._

_“Telling him won’t make him stay,” I whispered and wiped my eye with the back of my hand that held on to my empty beer bottle. “He wants to leave and there’s no stopping him, so why would I bother putting my heart out there if I already know he’s just gonna stomp on it like the cold hearted bastard he is.”_

_“Kenny,” Kyle snapped angrily._

_I loudly blew raspberries as I waved my hand wildly. “Oh, don’t get your panties in a bunch,” I said drunkenly._

_“You don’t know that he won’t stay.  You don’t know, Kenny.”_

_“Neither do you, Kyle,” I replied bitterly and turned to throw my empty beer bottle so it crashed against the fence that surrounded the yard._

The cold water against my face made my dulled senses perk.  I had been walking around in a daze since I arrived.  I couldn’t focus.  My heart was racing and I couldn’t get my cheeks to stop burning. “Get your shit together, Kenny,” I said to my reflection in the mirror above the sink as I turned off the tap.  I let out a sharp scoff and shook my head. “Pathetic.”

“You can still back out of this, you know,” Butters said from his spot on the small stool with his sketch book on his lap.  I had barely left the bathroom before he spoke.  He wasn’t smiling and I could tell he was worried about something.  I stood next to the table between the living room and the kitchen and crossed my arms over my chest. “I mean, I know it’s kind of weird and awkward,” he added.

His index finger tapped rhythmically against his book.  In a split second, all my nerves went out the damn window. “I don’t go back on my promises, Butters,” I replied as I leaned back against the table. “Just tell me what you need me to do.”

The smile returned to Butters’ face to expand as far across as it could.  He ran his hand over the cover of his book as he spun on his seat to pick through his art tools. “Well, I want to do a few rough sketches at first to get an idea of your features.  I’m a little rough with eyes, especially,” he explained as he touched pencil after pencil.  The light from outside reflected against the gold lettering of his name painted across the front of his book and made me smile gently. “I hope you don’t mind that this will take a few sessions,” he explained as he pulled a pencil from the jar and spun back around on his stool to face me. “That means we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

I grinned. “I don’t mind at all.”

The flash of red across his cheeks only lasted a moment before he tilted his head down to look at his book on his lap.  My grin drew back a bit.

_I just want to know why._

Butters flipped through his book.  The angle he had his head at allowed the yellow glow from the sun outside to pour through the window to threw through his gold hair to light the edges on fire.  I tilted my head slightly.  The glow reminded me somewhat of a halo sitting crookedly on top of his head.  I let my eyes travel down and took my time taking in every single feature.  His soft skin, his baby blue eyes, his small nose, his slightly parted lips, his exposed neck, his slightly broadened shoulders from his muscles.  I pinched my lips together tightly as I swallowed.  The slow movements of his chest expanding and contracting with each breath, his toned arm muscles, his thin and nimble fingers that danced across the pages of his book.  I cleared my throat loudly as I forced myself to look away.  My body was getting antsy and it wouldn’t take much to notice.  Butters looked up at me with wide, curious eyes. “So, what do you want me to do?  I mean, you’re the artist here so tell me what to do,” I explained and shifted uncomfortably.  I was finding it difficult to stand in one spot.

“You can do whatever you want.  Just do whatever is natural and make sure I can see you,” he answered and I felt my chest tighten.

_Just tell me why._

Those damn blue eyes.  I had to look away.  I turned to face the table and moved around to stand on the opposite side.  I could hear the soft scratching of pencil against the thick paper.  Butters had started sketching and that sent my heart into a frenzy.  There was no turning back so I distracted myself by taking my time looking over the paintings and drawings sprawled on the table.  There were some old and some new.  Most of them were landscape paintings and rough sketches of people or things.  The first painting that caught my eye was of a dome-shaped building behind an arched bridge and the background was of a sky coloured in reds and oranges and yellows.  In the top corner it was signed: **Museum Island, Berlin.  LBS.**

“You did all of these?” I asked in a voice smaller than I had meant to as I lifted my head.

Butters paused to look up.  His expression was far more serious than I had expected it to be. “I did.  All from over the last year,” he answered.

“They’re—,” I started to say and looked back down.  I exhaled as I shook my head. “They’re amazing, Butters.  I never knew you had so much talent.”

“Don’t sound so surprised, Kenny,” Butters said jokingly but I could sense the smallest amount of hurt in his tone.

“Butters, that’s not what I meant,” I said as I shook my head slowly. “You were always amazing to me, but I never really saw it until now.”

Butters’ pencil clattered against the floor.  _What the hell did I just say?_   I quickly lifted my head and Butters was scrambling to pick up his pencil.  He turned his back to me to search through his jar of pencils again.  I pinched my bottom lip between my teeth and bit down painfully.  _Get your shit together, idiot._   I forced my attention back on the art at my fingertips.  After Butters found a suitable pencil again he was back to sketching.  The soft scratching sounds filled the awkward silence that lingered in the air.  My big mouth made him feel awkward.  _Good job, moron._   I moved my hand from Museum Island to continue distracting myself.  There was something about the paintings and sketches that bothered me.  With each one that I looked at I noticed there was something hidden in each them that was impossible to understand if you were looking at each one individually, but side by side it was noticeable.  There was a touch of darkness in each one that was subtly hiding.

_“Artists are fickle creatures,”_ I remembered Stan say as we sat on a park bench looking at a mural made of spray paint all along the side of a building downtown. _“They are the most passionate lovers you will ever meet because they understand far more than I think anyone will ever understand about this world.  The most unique mind comes from an artist.”_

I turned my head to look at him and furrowed my eyebrows together. _“Dude, are you fucking high?”_ I asked and we both laughed.

My fingers touched the hard surface of a notebook and I tilted my head slightly.  There were edges of newspaper clippings and photographs sticking from the pages inside.  I opened the notebook to the first page and froze.  Taped to the first page was the cut out of a newspaper article.  To be more specific, it was the very first article written about Mysterion shortly after I made the persona.  There were some small notes written beside the article in Butters’ handwriting.  Flipping through a few more pages, I realized the entire notebook was focused on me.  Well, more accurately, on Mysterion.  Newspaper articles and candid photographs I had seen circulating the internet filled the notebook.

“Butters, what is this?” I asked as I picked up the book.

Butters hummed.  He was still focused on his sketching.  When he finally look up I was grinning wide, my eyebrow cocked high as I gently shook the book in my hand.  I had never seen his eyes widen as much as they did in that moment and pure panic settled on his face. “Kenny, put—put that down!” he shouted as he quickly jumped up from his seat, tossing his sketchbook aside.

“A notebook full of Mysterion?” I said and laughed as I moved around the opposite end of the table from where Butters was.  He was frowning at me but I couldn’t help the wide, playful grin on my face as we stood at opposite ends of the table from each other. “How scandalous.”

“Kenny!” Butters whined loudly.

“Was Kyle right?  Do you have a crush on the notorious masked vigilante of Denver?” I asked teasingly.  Butters blushed wildly.

_And did I secretly love that fact?  You’re damn right I did._

“Put it down.  I’m warning you,” Butters said and his voice was surprisingly strong as he pointed across the table at me.

“Oh?  You’re warning me?” I replied smugly and took a few steps back from the table. “Butters, you know you shouldn’t tease me so.  Now I’m too curious,” I explained and spun around as I flipped open the notebook. “Maybe there’s a whole page in here where you’ve written your name with Mysterion’s in hearts.  Or maybe a photoshopped wedding photo of you two getting married.  Or maybe—.”

I stopped when a hand grabbed the notebook to slap it shut.  I didn’t even hear Butters move behind me, it startled me.  I wasn’t sure why, but my hand instinctively clung on tighter to the notebook as Butters yanked and he was a lot stronger than I had anticipated.  The force spun me around and I lost my balance.  I stumbled but managed to catch myself when I grabbed the edge of the table.  I panted lightly as my heart raced in my chest.  I was still holding on to the notebook and so was Butters as I had him pinned against the table, our chests pressed together.  Warm breath ghosted over my face as noses brushed.  I had never heard my body scream so hard to stay still.  I wanted to savour the contact, the closeness.  I was so close to those bright blue eyes, it felt like I was staring into an ocean.  A hand gently touched the arm that was bracing myself against the table and moved slowly down to my wrist.  The touch sparked my senses and I used every bit of control I had to move away as normally as I could without flying into a nervous rant.

“Sorry about that,” I said with a small chuckle as I took a step back.  Butters’ hand let go of my wrist and I let go of his notebook. “I didn’t mean—,” I started to say but stopped when I heard something light drop to the floor.

I looked down and lying of the floor was an old photo that had fallen from inside Butters’ Mysterion journal.  It took my eyes a moment to adjust before I realized it was the photo taken just at the end of our first year of high school when the four of us decided to go to Stark’s Pond.  Stan had taken the photo so he was the closest with Kyle just behind him and Butters and I were in the background, my arm around Butters’ shoulders to hold him close as I flipped off the camera.  I suddenly found breathing the hardest thing to do.

_“Kenny, where are you going?!” Kyle yelled as I stumbled off the front steps, almost tripping over my feet onto the sidewalk.  The chilled night air cooled my heated cheeks.  I couldn’t tell if they were warm because of the alcohol or because of my rage. “Kenny, stop!  Please!” I was in such a drunken haze, I couldn’t fucking tell.  What I did know though was that I screwed up.  I screwed up royally._

I slowly bent down to pick up the old photo.  It was worn at the edges and had been folded a few times, wearing along the middles.  My hand shook as my fingers brushed against the smooth paper.  How many times had he looked at it?  Did he used to carry it around with him as a reminder of what he left behind?  A reminder of us?  A reminder of me?  Did he even care or was he too happy to even remember us?”

I stood staring at the photo pinched between my fingers and had to focus hard to control my shaking.  Emotions I had tried so hard to push down and forget over the last year and a half were bubbling to the surface in the form of a large lump that sat in the middle of my throat. “You never told us why,” I muttered quietly.

Butters snapped out of whatever trance he was stuck in staring at me.  I moved my eyes without moving my head to look over at him and he was obviously nervous.  He fidgeted by rubbing his knuckles together in front of him. “Wh—What?” he asked nervously.  I wanted to laugh at how stupid it was that he even thought he could lie.  He couldn’t lie when he had the most obvious tell of anyone.  He always had.

“You never told us why you left,” I said louder and let my eyes narrow slightly.  Butters quickly looked down.  I could feel my anger boiling inside me.  For some reason I felt in that moment that was owed every explanation in the book.  I was owed the last year and a half back.  I was owed every single word that he should have spilled out to me the moment I called out his name in the middle of the college hallway.  Then I saw it.  The pure pain on Butters’ face.  It wasn’t worry or nerves, it was pain.  Pain of something that he didn’t want to dig up but I was ready to pull out of his chest with every ounce of my strength.  I looked back at the photo in my hand and let out a soft exhale. “Sorry,” I said.  I could see Butters lift his head slightly out of the corner of my eyes.  I slowly shifted to hold the photo out to him and slowly shook my head. “I didn’t mean to—.”

“You shouldn’t apologize, Kenny,” Butters said with a forceful tone that made my eyebrows furrow together.  He took a step forward and his hands were wrapped around mine that still held on to his picture.  He had so much warmth radiating off his skin.  I was pretty sure I was dangerously close to melting at that touch. “You’ve always been too nice to the point that it hurts you.  You’d rather apologize than let someone suffer in their own thoughts.”

_“What did I do, Kyle?” my voice shook as I asked, my fingers pushed into my hair as I sat on his bed. “What the hell did I do?”_

_“I’m not gonna tell you I told you so,” he answered while standing next to his bed with his arms crossed over his chest.  He was so mad he may have exploded if he sat down so I didn’t even bother saying he should have._

_“But you did,” I whispered. “You did tell me.  I didn’t listen.  Why the hell didn’t I listen?”_

_“You were drunk,” Kyle reminded me bluntly. “Alcohol makes you stupid.”_

_“That’s no excuse!” I shouted and tightened my grip on my hair. “What did I do?”_

“Tell me why you left,” I demanded softly.  I couldn’t help it.  The words slipped from me like any filter that had been on my brain was suddenly washed away.  I didn’t want to see the pain on Butters’ face.  I didn’t want to be the cause, but I had to know.  I had to know why.

Butters’ lips tightened together.  I could see the tension in his body. “I—I don’t think I can,” he replied in a small voice.  He was rubbing his knuckles together nervously again.  The tension that filled the small space between us with thick.  I imagined it as a large puff of smoke formed by my rage and his insecurity.  It was fucking huge and I could barely see him through it. “But I can tell you that leaving was the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”

_“Why?”_ I thought to myself but I had to hold back.  Whatever rage there was inside me was nothing compared to the pain Butters felt standing in front of me. _“Just tell me why!”_

“I missed home,” Butters continued as if he could read my thoughts. “I missed my parents.  I missed Kyle and Stan.  I missed you.”

I felt my knees wobble under my weight as I stared at those large blue eyes. _“I know who to go after in this world to make you bend,”_ Dr. Wrath’s words suddenly echoed through my head.  It suddenly sent my mind into a whirlwind of thoughts.

_I can’t protect Kyle and Stan, they’re already too far in.  If Dr. Wrath knows who I am then he’ll know about Kyle and Stan by default.  I can try to force them out but they’ll only fight me.  The only thing I could do to try to protect them was to get them to leave on their own accord.  Then there’s Karen.  I can protect her, and I can protect Butters.  I can protect them, if only I can keep my emotions in check._   I stepped back from Butters.  _I must keep my distance.  It’s the only way I can protect them._   I smiled. “We missed you too, Butters.  We’re just happy to have you back,” I said and I think it was confusion that I saw form on his face. “Now come on, I don’t want you failing your class because of me.  Sketch away.”

_“I was too scared, Kyle.  Too scared of hearing him say goodbye,” I explained in a quiet voice. “I was scared that the moment he’d say goodbye, I would beg him not to leave me.”_

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

“McCormick, what are you doing?” David asked as he leaned against the side of the SUV I was working on.  My privileges had expanded and I was allowed to work on anything I wanted.  I just had to make sure I would ask for help when needed.  That meant I was given a lot of jobs that David and Spence didn’t want to do because they knew I wouldn’t complain.  Any job would keep my mind off everything else going on.

“I am currently doing something to this engine that, if you asked me, I have no idea how to explain but I somehow know how to do from watching you guys a million times,” I answered bluntly and leaned to the side to look around the lifted hood of the vehicle to grin at David. “Does that scare you a bit?”

The older man shook his head. “Not at all.  That’s pretty much what this job is.  It’s all muscle memory after a time, but don’t ask us old bats to explain any of it to anyone ‘cause we haven’t got a damn clue,” he replied to me with.

I scoffed as I rolled my eyes. “You keep calling yourselves old but you’re only, what, ten years older than me?” I replied and ducked my head back in under the hood. “Unless you guys have a secret you haven’t bothered to tell me.”

“What?  That we’re secretly wizards who can’t die?” he replied and laughed. “I wish.  No, it’s just that once you reach your twenty-fifth birthday, you no longer worry about your age and just call yourself old all the time.  Don’t you know it’s law?” David joked and moved to lean against the side of the hood.

He was lurking.  It was a strange routine of his when he didn’t have enough work to do.  A lot of the time when he lurked he would watch what I was doing from over my shoulder and critique me on how to do it better.  Now, I wasn’t complaining.  It was a great way to learn, but sometimes it felt like I had a permanent backseat driver just following me around the garage.  The one time I had to go so far as to get Mr. Bagley involved to give David a job.

I chuckled and shook my head. “Alright, David, is there a specific reason why you’re here or are you just bored?” I asked while continuing my work.

He hummed as he nodded his head back and forth with a mischievous grin. “Maybe I just wanted to come see my buddy Kenny,” he explained nauseatingly terrible at lying.  I paused to turn my head and give him an unimpressed look.  He laughed because he knew exactly why I was giving him that look. “Alright, I’m bored.  Sue me.”

“I just might.  I’ll file it under harassment and take it to any dickhead lawyer who will accept it and nail your ass with a restraining order.  Sweet, sweet justice,” I explained jokingly.

David tilted his head forward slightly to laugh. “Wow kid, you have got one evil side to you.  Here I am just being a nice guy in offering you help and support and you want to file a sexual harassment claim against me?”

I furrowed my eyebrows together in confusion. “Wait, where did the sexual part come in?”

“Kenny!” Spence shouted, interrupting the extremely confusing thoughts in my mind.  I set my tool down and turned. “You’ve got someone asking for you at the counter.”

I furrowed my eyebrows and reached for the bandanna hanging out of my back pocket to use it to wipe my grease covered hands. “Is it Kyle or Stan?” I asked.  They’d stop by sometimes to drop off food or ask to give them a ride home at the end of my shift but I was still hours away from leaving and I was pretty sure they were both too busy to be able to bring me anything.  Unless it was an emergency, I couldn’t think of anything.

Spence shook his head. “No, it’s a customer,” he answered and shrugged his shoulders as if there was nothing else he knew. “He’s specially requested you by name.”

“Oh, someone’s already got himself a regular.  It took me years to get my first,” David said teasingly as he reached out to pinch my arm.

“Ouch, that hurt, dickhead,” I said sharply as I quickly turned my head to look over at David.  He was grinning like an idiot.  I exhaled slowly as I rolled my eyes.  He was kind of like an annoying big brother which was kind of a strange feeling considering what I was used to in a big brother.  Kevin was annoying but in it was because he was never around and whenever he was I was either cleaning up his vomit or getting my ass kicked by him. “Finish up for me?” I asked as I nodded towards the exposed engine.

The taller man saluted me.  I passed by Spence who gently patted my shoulder and joined his friend at the car.  I made my way to the main counter where a familiar face I wasn’t expecting was standing.  He still had his sunglasses on and he wore a similar tailored suit than the one he wore the last time.  He had lots of money and it was obvious in absolutely everything he wore and had.  His watch was expensive.  His sunglasses were expensive.  I was even pretty sure that his shoes probably cost more than I would make in a month.  When he saw me, he removed his glasses to reveal his dark eyes.

“Kenny, right?” he said as I approached him.  The last time we had met he was cold and cynical.  The second time his voice was a bit lower and smoother, like he was trying hard to not come off threatening. “Do you remember me?”

“Yes, Mr. Marco,” I answered having remembered reading his name off the form he filled out before.  I was not great with names at all but he had stuck in my mind.  The arrogance he carried made his impression I had on him stick to me like glue.  Not many people bugged me the way he did. “Is there something else wrong with your vehicle?”

The man shook his head and carefully folded the arms of his sunglasses. “Nothing wrong, I just think I should get the oil changed before I forget,” he explained and smiled.  I did not like that smile.  It was so fake, he had to be either a salesman or in business.  Only those kinds of people smiled like that and it made me physically nauseous. “I thought since you did such a fantastic job with my car last time I’d have you treat her again.”

“I actually didn’t touch your car.  I just did the inspection and sign in,” I explained dryly.  It was still while I was on probation.  I had learned a lot about it from David but aside from driving it in and out of the garage, I never actually put a finger on it. “I can get the guy who did work on it last time though,” I added as I pointed over my shoulder towards where David and Spence were arguing loudly about something.  Nothing new.

The man scoffed and shook his head slowly. “That’s not necessary.  You know how to change a car’s oil.  You’ll do it,” he said and I could hear the smugness in his voice as if he was ordering me like he was my boss.  That made me rethink the salesman thing.  Definitely a businessman.

I exhaled sharply through my nose.  He was making me worked up again.  I wasn’t sure what it was but the man just had that attitude about him that instantly got on my nerves. “Sure, you’ll just have to fill out the form,” I said as I moved around the counter to grab one of the forms.  My dirty fingers left behind residue on the paper as I handed them to Mr. Marco.  He didn’t seem to mind even though I was half expecting him to wince away as if it were going to leap off the paper and stick to his pristine, dry cleaned clothing.  He quickly filled out the empty spots and handed it back to me. “Where’s your car?”

“Just outside,” he answered. “I’m sure you’ll have no troubles finding it amongst the questionable vehicles out there at the moment.”

_Fucking smug ass bastard._

“Just leave your keys and we’ll take care of it,” I tried hard to hide my obvious attitude filled tone as I set the paper down on the counter.  When I turned back the man had his hand outstretched towards me.  I wasn’t sure why, but every inch of skin on my body bubbled and I felt my heart racing in my chest.  Something screamed at me from the back of my head.  It was the voice I rarely every listened to that I think was associated with my common sense.  I cleared my throat and lifted my hands in front of me, palms facing the man with an apologetic look on my face. “Sorry, I wouldn’t want to get your hands dirty.”

The man stared at me for a moment like he was trying to dig through my skull to get to my brain.  He slowly curled his fingers into a fist and his lips turned up into the slyest smile.  I didn’t think it was possible to have so much arrogance in one smile but it was definitely possible to him.  My back tingled as fire shot through my veins.  He fished into his pocket to pull out his keys to set them down on top of the counter. “Fair enough,” he said and slid his sunglasses back onto his face. “I’ll be seeing you soon, Mr. McCormick.”

My eyebrows immediately furrowed together.  He quickly turned and left without another word.  _How did he know my last name?  Did he read it off somewhere?  Did he hear it from somewhere?  Or did he—am I overthinking?_ “He’s an odd one,” Spence said as he stepped up beside me.  He startled me but I made sure to hide that fact or he’d tease me about it for days. “We don’t see many prim and proper business men here unless it’s an absolute emergency.  They never come back a second time and they definitely never request the new guy.”

“Did you tell him my last name?” I asked, ignoring what he said.

“Uh, no, I don’t think so.  He asked for you so I don’t think I said your name at all, actually,” he answered and gently tapped his hand against my chest when my face twisted further with confusion. “Hey, what’s with that scary look?  Did he say something?  It looks like you’re trying to hold back from ringing his neck out or something,” he explained.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose in hopes that it would relieve the tension I felt in my forehead. “I can’t really explain it,” I said in a low voice. “I just—I have a bad feeling about that man.”

Spence scoffed loudly. “You and me both, kiddo,” he said and walked away from me to grab the keys off the counter. “I’ll bring his car inside.”

_Mr. Phillip Marco, where did I know you from?  Why did you seem so familiarly terrifying to me?  Where have we met before?  Fuck that’s annoying._

“Earth to Kenny!” Kyle sang as he snapped his fingers in front of my face.

“Huh?” I replied as I was pulled from my thoughts.  I had been leaning against the shopping cart as Kyle and Stan wandered around grabbing food to put inside.  I was never good at shopping.  I didn’t even know there were different kinds of potatoes and that there were definitely wrong kinds of potatoes, so I stuck to pushing the cart around and staying quiet.  Or at least, tried to stay quiet.

“Jeez, where the hell did you go?  You were far from here,” Kyle asked, his face contorted into confusion. “I called your name like four times before you finally answered.”

“Sorry, I was thinking,” I answered and rubbed my eyes.  I felt so tired and for absolutely no reason at all.  I even left work a bit early because I couldn’t bring myself to focus my tired eyes on the work in front of me.  I left Mr. Marco’s car with David who assured me it was in good hands and then proceeded to drop a handful of wrenches on the floor.  I should have cared but I couldn’t bring myself to in that moment.

“About?” Kyle pressed, dragging out the word.  He had that damn grin on his face.  It was the same one he always wore when he was trying to dig gossip out of me or when he was gearing up to make fun of me about something.

A second wind suddenly came to me in the form of a lazy but entertaining response. “If they’ll ever bring back the Underdog cartoon.  I miss son of a bitch, literally,” I lied with a crooked grin aimed at Kyle.

He rolled his eyes. “Jerk,” he muttered as he turned away from me.

“Hey, you asked,” I replied with a soft chuckle.

Kyle turned to face the section of condiments with a serious look on his face.  He had a list in his hand but refused to look at it.  It was the stupidest thing he did every single time we went shopping.  He was always adamant about making a list but would straight up refuse to look at it until either Stan or I yelled at him.  _Speaking of which._   I turned my head to look down one end of the aisle and then turned my head again to look down the other.  We were the only two standing in the aisle.

“Where’d Stan go?” I asked curiously.  I hadn’t even realized he left.  The guy was a giant but he was insanely quiet on his feet.

“He went off to the healthy foods section like a weirdo,” Kyle answered with a small sarcastic chuckle.

I laughed and shook my head. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to eat healthy,” I said.  Kyle would go through a bag of gummy bears a day if we let him.  He could cook but he was worst out of the three of us for devouring junk food at any hour of the day like it was nothing.

“There is everything wrong with it when he eats a bag of extra buttery popcorn every night,” he replied with a half smile.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, but he works it off, unlike you.  You just sit around and embrace the fat to come to you.  Kind of like Cartman,” I explained and Kyle’s head snapped around so he could glare at me.  I was worried for a second that he may have snapped his neck in half.

“Do not compare me to Cartman,” he growled angrily.  I shrugged my shoulder dramatically. “I am not getting fat.”

“You are definitely getting some love handles, but that’s okay, it’s perfectly normal for someone in a relationship.  It just gives your partner more to grab on to when you’re together,” I teased and waited for the loud protest from the red head.

“That’s just weird,” he replied as he turned back to the assortment of ketchup.  I was flabbergasted.  It must have been the first time that anyone mentioned him being in a relationship and he didn’t retaliate with a raised voice of protest against it.  That could only mean one thing and the thought alone made me vibrate. “Anyways, let’s talk about something else,” Kyle said as if he could sense me getting ready to rip him apart.

I decided to let it go.  It wasn’t as much fun without Stan to work off and set each other up with easy shots at Kyle’s pride and dignity. “Talk about what?” I asked as I griped the cart and stood with my feet on the small back tires.

Kyle hummed as he pressed his index finger to his chin. “Let’s think.  What can we talk about?” he asked but he was feigning ignorance.  I squinted my eyes towards him.  He had something planned.  He knew exactly what he wanted to talk about and when I saw the corner of his lips turn up into that devilish grin, panic set in me.

“Kyle—,” I started to say with a warning tone as I stepped off from balancing on the cart.

“Oh!  I know!” he interrupted loudly with a sharp snap of his fingers. “We can talk about your first session with Butters,” he explained turned his head to look over his shoulder at me.  _Stupid fucking grin._

“You’re the devil,” I growled.

“So I’ve been told,” he replied and turned back to face the shelves. “So?  How was it?  Just the two of you alone in his apartment.” He shivered dramatically. “I’m practically getting chills just thinking about it.”

“Sorry to disappoint, pervert, but nothing happened.  Butters sketched me and I sat on my phone pretty much the entire time.  He talked about school and I talked about work,” I explained knowing full well that it was entirely bullshit.  If I told him the truth though, I’d never hear the end of it.

Kyle sighed heavily.  His shoulders slumped. “And after all the trouble I went through to get you two alone.  How tragic.  Such a waste,” he said dramatically as he shook his head.

“You’re so full of shit, Kyle,” I said as I chuckled lightly and shook my head.

“Are you two done yet?” Stan suddenly called out from the far end of the aisle near the front of the store.  He was holding on to a few things and had a crooked grin on his face. “Man, you two are the absolute worst at shopping.”

“I’m not the one who’s picky about which kind of ketchup to get!  You should be the one choosing,” Kyle retaliated bitterly, his hands perched on his hips.

Stan shrugged his shoulders high up to almost touch his ears. “What can I say?  I have an expensive taste.  A first class palate made for hot dogs and gourmet ketch—.”

If you’ve ever experienced anything in super slow motion, you’ll know what I experienced in that moment as the entire building shook from the intense explosion.  Glass and concrete and dust flew.  The force from the explosion crashed against Stan’s back.  All I could think was how he was too close.  He was too close to the explosion.  My instincts kicked into overdrive next and I reached out to grab the only person I could in such a short amount of time.  Kyle.  I heard him scream Stan’s name but it was distant in my mind over my own racing heart that pounded in my ears.  I felt the shockwave that knocked into Stan against my back as I shielded Kyle from it.  It was a similar feeling as to when I fell off the scaffolding and died.  Pain through my spine affected everything in my body.  Every bone and muscle instantly ached.

I didn’t realize the force from the explosion had knocked me down until Kyle was shaking me and I was opening my eyes on the hard floor.  I must have been knocked unconscious because there was a space in my memory that was only silence.  Pieces of the building along with knocked over groceries littered the floor around us.

“Kenny, holy fuck.  You okay?” Kyle asked but his voice was still distant with the loud ringing in my ears.

“The building exploded,” was all I could manage.

“Yeah, it fucking exploded,” he replied.  He was in shock.  I could hear it in his shaking voice.

“The building exploded and—,” I repeated as I pushed myself up to my knees with the heels of my hands pressed to my forehead. “It exploded and—,” I whispered and stopped.  My eyes widened and my head whipped around.  _He was standing too damn close._ “Stan!” I screamed and struggled to get myself to my feet.  I stumbled over the debris to get to the spot where he laid.  I could hear him groaning quietly in pain from underneath the slabs of the building that covered him.  It was a struggle but I managed to remove everything off him. “Stan, can you move?”

I helped him roll and sit up but he immediately clutched his left arm. “Ah!” he screamed in pain. “I—I think my arm’s broken,” he said through his pain formed heavy breaths as his head lowered and then lulled to the side.  He was losing consciousness.  Blood ran from his hairline to roll down his forehead.  It was bad. 

“Who the hell would blow up a grocery store?” Kyle asked as he climbed over the debris to reach us.  He was on Stan’s other side and removing his collared shirt.  The logical part of his brain was kicked into high gear when his adrenaline was racing through his system.  I could tell he was worried about our friend but his brain was trying to get him to think.  To block out the fear.

I looked up from Stan to look around.  The entire front of the building was gone.  There was screaming nearby from a woman trapped under a pile of cans that had been stacked for a display near the entrance that was gone.  Other people were wandering around trying to get their bearings.  Most of them just looked dirty and spooked, but there were a few with cuts and bruises from the flying debris.  Some spectators to the explosion were running into the unsafe condition to help.  It was destruction.  Pure destruction surrounding us.  I watched as a young girl stepped out of the aisle next to the one we had been standing in and stood staring out the large opening that had once been large windows and the thick front wall.  Her eyes were wide and unblinking.  Stan let out a pained scream as Kyle tied his shirt to keep his broken arm secure in something temporary.  I followed the young girl’s gaze out the building to the parking lot and that’s when I saw him.  His coat flowed behind him in the slow breeze and his mask obstructed the top half of his face but in broad daylight I could make out more features.  He had black hair that had been tousled to look messy and a slight five o’clock shadow.

“Dr. Wrath,” I growled as I stood knowing Kyle was holding on tightly to his almost unconscious best friend.

“What?” Kyle asked, his voice panicked. “Kenny, who the fuck is that?”

“Attention citizens of Denver!” Dr. Wrath shouted to gain everyone’s attention. “You do not know me yet, but you may call me Dr. Wrath.  I do apologize for my rude entrance but I had to make sure I had all of your attention,” he explained dramatically.  There was something about his voice that made my back tingle.  Something…arrogant…and familiar. “Do pull out your phones and record.  The more people to hear me, the better.”

“You son of a bitch,” I growled under my breath.

“You all might be a bit confused as to who exactly I am and why I have blown up this fine building,” Dr. Wrath explained and I could see the small grin on his face.  My hands curled into fists at my sides. “Why have I done such a heinous crime?  Why have I put people’s lives in jeopardy?  Was it just to gain attention?  Why yes, it was.  But the main goal of this was not to get your attention.  No, I want the attention of someone special.  You all may know him.  He’s grown quite popular in this fair city.  He goes by the alias, Mysterion.”

“He—He knows you?” Kyle asked, his voice low but still panicked.

“A hero, you might all call him.  The saviour of Denver.  Well, how does it feel to know that your beloved hero has done this?” he asked as he gestured to the building. “He has called upon the destruction of this building and harmed the people inside because of his selfishness.” Dr. Wrath scoffed. “Do you see me now, Mysterion?  Do you see the seriousness of my words now?” he asked and the chuckle that came from deep in his chest made me shake. “I told you I knew how to make you bend.”

Sirens blared.  The police cruiser sped into the parking lot and Dr. Wrath spun around.  His arm was stretched out in front of him and with a flick of his wrist he forced the front of the car to lift from the ground, spin, and land hard on its roof.  Shocked gasps echoed throughout the room as everyone watched him perform an impossible trick.  There was nothing impossible about it though and it definitely wasn’t a trick.  Someone screamed loudly from nearby.  I moved but was stopped when I felt a hand wrap around my wrist.  I quickly spun my head around and Stan was holding me as Kyle held on tightly to him.

“Don’t—Don’t do it,” Stan managed to say in a quiet voice and flinched in pain.

“I’m not going to let him get away with this,” I growled.

“He’ll kill you, Kenny,” Kyle said and I noticed the tears that sat in his eyes.  He was shaking hard, probably causing pain to Stan, but the taller friend was too injured to say anything.  He had a major concussion and needed a hospital.

“I have to protect everyone,” I replied coldly as I carefully removed my wrist from Stan’s weak grip.

Kyle shook his head frantically. “No!  You’ll die!” he shouted.  I could see him spiralling because of the shock.  Stan was too weak to stop him and my focus was somewhere else.  It was on destroying Wrath, but not at the expense of Kyle’s sanity.

“Kyle,” I said and my hands went on his cheeks to hold his head.  His green eyes were magnified by the tears that didn’t fall. “I can’t die,” I whispered to him.

Kyle was still breathing heavily.  His eyebrows furrowed together. “Wh—What?” he asked confusingly.

I should have been nervous.  I should have felt fear and shock, but I only felt relief.  Like a rock had finally been removed from weighing me down at the bottom of the ocean and I could finally come up for air. “I can’t die,” I repeated slowly, focusing on each word carefully.

Kyle stopped shaking.  I stepped back as I let my hands leave him.  I turned back to face Dr. Wrath who was flipping cars in the parking lot but he stopped suddenly.  He turned around just as I reached the edge of the building.  Black eyes locked with mine.

“Stop,” Dr. Wrath’s voice echoed in my mind.  My body went rigid as I leaned into my next step. “I knew you would break but it is not time yet, Mr. McCormick.”

My inhale was cut off and I felt my mind go fuzzy.  Every muscle in my body suddenly stopped at once and I was falling.  Kyle’s voice screamed out for me in panic as my body slammed hard against the ground and I felt darkness take over me.  It wrapped around me like I was falling asleep but there was something chasing it.  A voice calling out to me.  A voice I wasn’t expecting.

“Be strong, Mysterion.  Don’t let him win.”

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

The sounds of my footsteps were silenced by Kyle and Stan’s conversation in front of me.  People passed by us at a steady pace.  I stepped aside slightly to avoid running into someone wearing a bright orange coat.  We were downtown in Denver along the road towards our usual coffee shop.

“I’m just saying that you’d be a hell of a lot more productive if you would start your assignments early rather than the night before,” Kyle explained, his voice louder than the noise ringing through my ears.

Stan scoffed. “That’s like telling a pig that it would be helpful to look up to check to see if it’ll rain rather than wait to feel it.  The pig would love to be able to look up but he can’t.  He physically cannot look up,” he replied.

Kyle sighed loudly. “Are you still bothered that pigs can’t look up?”

“It means that the entire story of Charlotte’s Web was a lie!” Stan shouted loudly and Kyle laughed at his sudden rise in frustration. “Oh, you think that’s funny, Mr. I cried during Titanic.”

“That movie was beautiful and majestic and Leonardo DiCaprio deserves every award and standing ovation,” Kyle retaliated with a sharp hiss.  I stepped around a small group of people.  Kyle started to laugh suddenly. “I’m just remembering when I told you pigs couldn’t look up and you nearly balled your eyes out,” the red head replied.

“I was very intoxicated, okay?  It was a very emotional night for me,” Stan replied in a low voice.

“Excuse me,” I said as I sped past a man who came out from a store to almost collide with me.

“Come on, Kenny.  Keep up or we’re gonna leave you behind!” Kyle shouted over his shoulder at me.

I quickly caught up to my two friends who didn’t even slow down when I fell behind. “Guys, where are we going?  Are we going to the coffee shop?” I asked but I was ignored.

“Oh yeah, they’re coming out with a new Call of Duty next month,” Stan said, ignoring my questions.

Kyle scoffed. “Come on, they come out with a new Call of Duty game every six months.  They’re never new.  Just the same old shit,” he replied bitterly.

“Maybe the battle system but they usually have different storylines,” Stan replied.

“Stan, you can’t put lipstick on a pig and call it beautiful.  It’s just a pig with lipstick on and that’s wrong,” Kyle explained and earned a chuckle from Stan.

I collided shoulders with an oncoming pedestrian. “Oh, sorry,” I apologized and quickly spun around to see the familiar orange coat. “The fuck?” I said quietly, my eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

“Seriously Kenny, we will leave your ass behind!” Kyle yelled.

I spun back around to chase after my two friends. “Guys, seriously, where are we going?” I called out to them.

“Why are we having so many discussions about pigs today?” Stan asked.  I had been ignored again.  Something felt wrong.

“Guys--,” I tried to call out again.

“I don’t know,” Kyle interrupted with a small chuckle. “Weird isn’t it?”

Stan laughed. “Yeah, it’s almost like--,” he started to say but stopped when I grabbed his shoulder along with Kyle’s.

“Guys!” I yelled and spun them both around to face me.

“Jeez Kenny, what’s with you today?” Stan asked.

“Don’t tell me.  Casey is getting on your nerves again?” Kyle asked, a wide grin formed on his face.

“What?  Who the hell is Casey?” I asked confusingly.

Kyle scoffed. “Who the—Really Kenny?” he asked almost angrily as his eyebrows furrowed together. “Casey, your partner with whom you’ve been with since we moved to Denver.  The love of your life.  The reason you keep on living.  Casey.”

I slowly shook my head. “No, I’m not--,” I tried to say but the lump in my throat constricted my words.

“Are you feeling alright, Kenny?” Stan asked worriedly.

“Oh, he’s fine.  He’s just being a stubborn ass,” Kyle replied with a wave of his hand.

“I—I don’t--,” I stammered.  I stopped when I saw the orange coat step off the curb behind Kyle and Stan. “Where were we going?” I whispered. “How did we get here?”

“He might have officially lost it,” Kyle said teasingly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“We weren’t here,” I said in a low voice.  My hands shook at my sides.  Something was wrong.  Seriously wrong. “How did we get here?” A car blared its horn loudly as tires screeched against the pavement. “Where were we going?” The loud thump of the car impacting with the orange coat echoed in my ears growing louder in my mind.  Kyle and Stan didn’t even flinch at the sound.  The sudden smell of dust filled my nose and I could hear the loud scream of a woman.  Something snapped in my brain. “We were in the grocery store.”

“We were not in the grocery store, Kenny,” Stan explained and reached out for me but I flinched away.

“Dr. Wrath attacked,” I explained as the realization set in deeper and deeper.

“Dr. Wrath?” Kyle asked skeptically. “Come on, Kenny, don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not being ridiculous!  He found me.  He knows who I am.  He knows that I’m Mysterion,” I explained in a panic.

Kyle groaned loudly. “Not this again.  Kenny, I’ve told you, it’s just a dream!  You’re not some fucking superhero named Mysterion.”

“But, I am!  I’m Mysterion and I—I can’t die.  I can’t—,” I said, my head in my hands as I stared down at the concrete.  The soft chatter of the pedestrians around me stopped.  Everything fell silent.

“You lied, Kenny,” Kyle said.  He sounded angry.  I could hear it so easily in his tone.  I quickly lifted my head and he was scowling at me.  His usual bright green eyes were dark.

“I—I didn’t mean to.  Kyle, I was trying to protect you and Stan.  It was too dangerous!” I shouted.

“You just couldn’t leave it alone.  You just couldn’t keep walking.”

The voice came from behind me.  I turned and the orange coat stood in the middle of the empty sidewalk.  That’s when I noticed everyone around us had disappeared.  The figure lifted their hands to remove their hood and my eyes widened.  It was me wearing the orange coat.  My doppelganger gave me such a burning hot stare, it made my back tingle.

“You had to figure it out.  You had to dig, because you can’t help but chase after the danger,” my twin snapped angrily. “Do you want to know why you’re so miserable?  Why you’re so unhappy?  It’s because of you do it to yourself.  You want to be miserable so you can feel something, because you’re a selfish ass.  How else would you explain why you dress up like a fucking lunatic and jump off rooftops every night?”

“That’s because I want to help people,” I snapped back just as angrily.

My twin scoffed loudly as he shook his head. “Help people?  You want the credit.  You want the fame.  You want to feel something other than the shame of not being able to protect your mother and Karen.  You were always too weak against your father so now you’re gonna try to make it better by putting everyone else in harm’s way?”

I shook my head frantically. “What the hell do you mean?” I growled.

“Everything that has happened is because of you.  Professor Chaos appeared because of you.  Dr. Wrath appeared because of you.  All those people, including your best friends, were injured because of you.  Stan will probably die, all because of you.  Because you’re a spineless, selfish asshole.  You’re nothing, Kenny McCormick.”

My hands tightened into fists and I took a step to start my swing but someone caught my wrist to stop me. “Mysterion,” Chaos’ voice whispered.

I spun around.  I was no longer standing on the sidewalk.  Instead, I was standing on a familiar rooftop, I believed it was the movie theatre.  Professor Chaos held on to my wrist, his eyes glowed violet as he stared at me.  He had the same intense stare as Kyle and my doppelganger, but it was not full of anger or judgement, it was full of worry.  My regular clothing had disappeared and I was standing in my Mysterion costume.  Needless to say, I was confused as fuck.

“Mysterion, whatever you do, don’t let him in.  Please, if you let him in, he wins.”

I woke with a loud gasp.  The steady beeping of the heartrate monitor sped up slightly in time with my accelerated heartbeat.  I quickly realized I was lying on a bed in a hospital room attached to the heartrate machine above my head and an IV bag that was feeding fluids directly into my veins.  It was dark in the room except for the glow of the monitors and the moonlight that poured into the room through the large window next to me.

“Kenny,” a soft voice said.  I turned my head and Kyle leaned forward in his seat.  He was in front of the window with the moonlight against his back but the glow from the machines lit up his face to show his flat expression. “I was worried that you wouldn’t wake up, but then every time I found myself worrying I also found myself thinking about what you said about how you can’t die.”

“Kyle, I can explain.  I—,” I started to say but Kyle lifted his hand to silently stop me.

“Not here.  Not yet.  It’s not the right time or the place,” he said, his voice flat. “Plus, it’s not what’s important right now,” he added and let his gaze shift to look past me. “What’s important is him.”

My eyebrows furrowed together and I slowly turned.  I hadn’t noticed the sheer size of the room and how it was big enough for two beds.  It took my eyes a moment to adjust to see the familiar raven black hair and soft features.  It was Stan covered in bandages, one wrapped around his head, and a cast over his left arm with the sling secured around his neck to keep him from moving it too much.  He was asleep and looked so much smaller than normal.

“Stan,” I said in a low voice as I exhaled.

“He’ll live, Kenny,” Kyle explained and my jaw clenched tighter. “For now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit themightypookums.tumblr.com for original artwork by yours truly!


	8. ...and Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I guess it was only a matter of time before Kyle and Stan found out my secret. I was naive to think they'd never find out. I wish they hadn't found out the way they did. It was my worst fear come true. I was going to lose my friend, and for what? For what damn reason was it going to be the end?
> 
> "Come on Stan. Don't be an idiot. We're not going to survive without you, so you have to get better."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> I want to thank EVERYONE who has been so supportive of Soulmates! You guys are all the best and make me so damn happy every single time I see a comment or kudos! You are all the absolute best!!
> 
> Enjoy!

The worst fight I ever had with Kyle was when we were in middle school and I accidentally destroyed his favourite ushanka hat.  It was the one he had owned since pre-school when his head was half the size of it.  He wore it every day, even on the warmer days.  It was ugly as all hell but it suited him.  Then I stupidly let it slip from my hands to disappear in a storm drain and it was never seen again.  The look on Kyle’s face was terrifying.  He yelled and screamed and then he went quiet.  In all honesty, the silence was a hundred times more terrifying than the screaming.  He refused to talk to me for days and it killed me.  He was one of my best friends and I betrayed him.  I spent all day searching every store in South Park with no luck in finding a replacement hat.  Instead, I found a scarf.  It was identical in the colour but I knew it wasn’t the same.  Kyle ignored me through my entire speech about feeling bad and hating not talking to him.  It wasn’t until I put the scarf in his lap and made a promise that he finally acknowledged me.

_“I promise I’ll never betray you again, Kyle.  I promise,”_ I said and he grinned as he ran his hand over the soft fabric of the scarf.

_“You better keep your promise, Kenny.”_

I did for years, and then I broke it.  I broke the most important promise I ever made in my life and for a week I was put in a box by Kyle.  He didn’t talk to me at all, he avoided me at all costs, and he pretended I was invisible when we crossed paths.  At home he pretended I didn’t exist and at the hospital he actively avoided being anywhere near me.  I would have confronted him and told him to stop but I understood completely.  I had betrayed him again.  I lied for over a year and it almost killed Stan, his best friend in the entire world.

“Watch out for the door,” I warned Stan as he stepped through the main door to the unit.

His arm was still in a cast and would be like that for over a month.  He had been in the hospital for a week because of his head.  The blow from the explosion had concussed him bad.  He was delirious at times and woke up in a panic once when he forgot where he was entirely.  It was terrifying but eventually went away after only a few days.  He was still covered in some bruises and the stitches on his head were healing, but overall, he was fine.

“I’m fine Kenny, stop worrying so much,” Stan retaliated with a wave of his good hand over his shoulder. “You sound like my mother.”

“I think I’d rather you call me daddy,” I joked.

Stan stopped.  He only made it a few steps up the stairs before he turned to glare at me.  I laughed.  I missed that.  He had been uncharacteristically depressed in the hospital.  I couldn’t blame him but I couldn’t stand seeing him like that any longer.  Being bed ridden was making him go stir crazy but it didn’t take him long to return back to normal once he was home.

He groaned loudly as he lowered himself to sit on the edge of his bed. “Oh my god,” he said and slowly leaned back to lay down, still groaning loudly like he was suddenly over seventy years old. “Oh bed, I missed you so much.”

“Fucking weirdo,” I teased.

Stan lifted his foot in the air and I lifted my eyebrow quizzically. “Remove my shoe, peasant!” he said loudly.  I chuckled and rolled my eyes.  I let him press his foot against my thigh so I could untie the shoelace of his sneaker.  Silence rolled through the room but I could sense he wasn’t going to let it go on for long. “Is he still giving you the silent treatment?”

I paused for a moment to exhale sharply. “Yep, going strong.  I think at this rate I could actually turn invisible and it wouldn’t make a difference,” I answered dryly.  Stan had been in the middle of a few encounters between us.  He tried a few times to get Kyle to snap out of his silent treatment but there was no luck.  Kyle had dug his heels in hard.

Stan hummed lightly.  He still didn’t know anything.  He refused to let me explain anything about Dr. Wrath or the abilities to him in the hospital.  He remembered bits and pieces of what happened at the grocery store but the news helped him piece everything together.  Amateur video footage of Dr. Wrath using his mind to flip the police cruiser on its roof quickly circulated.  I planned on telling Stan everything but he stopped me before I could.  I was going to be frustrated but then he told me why.

_“When Kyle decides to stop being mad, you’ll want him to be the first one to know.  I’m willing to wait until he’s done being stubborn, no matter how long that takes,”_ he said with a small, crooked smile.

“Where is he right now?” Stan asked as I pulled off his shoe.

“Other foot,” I ordered and he switched legs to raise. “He’s at work.  He’s taken a lot of shifts the past few days.  I think he couldn’t stand to be in the same apartment as me anymore so he literally took every excuse he could to get out,” I explained.

I wouldn’t deny that the thought hurt me.  It pained me so much that I stayed out as long as I could as Mysterion and hoped that I would see someone.  Chaos.  Wrath.  A god damn Arachne gang member.  Just anyone.  I didn’t want to be alone in the apartment.  It was lonely and I had too much time alone with my own thoughts.  I didn’t fucking care who I could possibly meet, but there was no one.  Not a single fucking person for an entire week.  It was punishment.  Divine fucking punishment.

“Have you tried to approach him yet?” Stan asked.

I scoffed loudly. “I would rather not experience what it’s like to lose my hand to an angry tiger, thank you very much,” I answered, partly teasing.

“I feel like he’d be more like an angry possum.  Not very strong but wild enough to be just terrifying,” Stan explained and laughed at his own joke.  It erupted quickly into full hysterical laughter. “All I can imagine is him with the long nose and skinny tail,” he managed through his spouts of laughter.  I rolled my eyes as I finished removing his second shoe.  I dropped the sneakers to the side and moved to sit down next to Stan.  He managed to calm his hysterical laughter and gently smacked my arm with his good one. “Help—Help me up.”

I helped him sit up and we stared at his large poster in front of us.  He had the thing since his birthday just before the first year of high school.  It was the only thing I could afford…because I stole it.  Silence wrapped in tension lingered between us.  I couldn’t hold in the wave of tense frustration that I had been keeping trapped inside me.  It escaped out of me in a loud sigh as I curled forward to rub my palms against my face before running my fingers through my hair.

“I don’t know how to make this all better,” I said in a low voice.

A hand gently touched my back.  I turned my head slightly to catch a quick glimpse of Stan’s small smile. “It starts with you two actually talking.  Make that first step and we’ll go from there.  I’ll be right there along with you,” he explained and I slowly nodded. “And don’t forget curly fries.  You know much of a sucker he is for curly fries.”

I chuckled and nodded a bit more.  He was right.  Not only had Kyle been avoiding me for a week but I had been avoiding him too.  He was mad at me but not as much as I was mad at myself.  I hated myself and had been scared to inevitably meet his wrath.  It was going to be terrifying.  He wasn’t going to let me get away easy.  He was going to rip me apart and I had to let it happen.

The keys jingled in my hand as I returned to the apartment.  Stan demanded a cheeseburger and I wasn’t about to complain about getting it.  I could cook up a mean Eggo waffle in the toaster oven but other than that, my culinary skills were non-existent.  The door swung open and I froze.  Kyle’s head whipped around.  He immediately went from looking happy to disgusted in less than a second.  He looked away and quickly pushed himself to his feet from the couch.

“Kyle Broflovski, you sit your ass down,” Stan snapped from the side of the couch that was facing the main door.

The red head looked over at his raven-haired friend with furrowed eyebrows.  They had a silent argument and surprisingly, Stan won.  He probably used the sympathy card.  Kyle sat back down and crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest.  It was like looking at a male version of his mother.  I wanted to laugh but chose not to.

“Kenny,” Stan said, snapping me from my thoughts to nod his head slightly.

I shut the door behind me and walked across the room to reach into the brown bag from the fast food restaurant I went.  I pulled out a thick cheeseburger and handed it to Stan.  He practically drooled at the smell.  I couldn’t tell you how many times I listened to him complain about the hospital food.  I reached into the bag again and pulled out the small carton.  Kyle blinked a few times as I held the curly fries in front of him.

“I didn’t know when you’d come home but I got them for you anyways,” I explained.  It was the first words I had said to him in days.  He lifted his hand but I pulled away a bit.  Bright green eyes glared up at me. “Are you going to listen to me?  To let me talk?”

Kyle scoffed. “So this is blackmail?” he asked as he re-crossed his arms over his chest.

I shrugged my shoulders slightly. “It got you to talk, so it’s working at least,” I said and grinned.  Kyle’s face twitched.  He was stubborn but I could read him like a book.  I almost had him. “Kyle, please, I’m sorry,” I said in a small voice and he looked away. “I’m sorry I lied.  I’m sorry I betrayed you.  I’m sorry I broke my promise.”

Eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.  He looked back up at me and I felt my throat constrict.  If looks could kill, I would have been turned into ash in a split second. “Broke your promise?” he asked confusingly.

_He didn’t remember?_   I nodded slowly. “Yeah, I promised you that I’d never betray you and I did.  I betrayed you by lying to you and—,” I was trying to explain but Kyle cut me off.

“Wait, stop.  Just fucking stop,” he said and moved to get off the couch.  I could feel Stan tense from where he sat. “You think I’m mad because you broke some stupid promise you made to me when we were kids?” Kyle asked from a few steps away.  I could see the fire in his eyes.  I had opened the floodgates to Hell. “Do you really think I’d be that fucking petty and selfish?”

It was my turn to furrow my eyebrows in confusion. “What?  I didn’t—no.  I don’t think you’re—,” I started to say and was interrupted again.

“You lied to us, Kenny.  You lied to us about being Mysterion and fuck only knows how many others things you’ve lied to us about too, but that isn’t what made me mad.  What’s made me so unbelievably mad is the fact that I didn’t notice it,” Kyle snapped angrily.  I blinked slowly.  _Huh?_ “You are my best friend, Kenny, and I didn’t notice that you were lying to me.  Looking back at it, I should have seen the signs.  You were suffering about something.  Something I still don’t understand, but never even saw in the first place.”

I shook my head rapidly. “No, Kyle, I—.”

He interrupted for the third time. “You were supposed to rely on us to help you.  You were supposed to turn to us for help and support, but you didn’t.  You didn’t because it’s fucking crazy,” he explained and scoffed. “I was mad at first that you didn’t tell us, but how could you?  It’s insane.  Who the hell would believe it?  I watched that lunatic flip a damn car with his mind and I still couldn’t believe it!  I can’t sleep because all I do is stay up thinking about it and what you’ve been going through…alone.”

I couldn’t help the small smile that formed on my face.  He got it.  He got it without me even having to say anything.  It wasn’t about him being mad at me, it was about him being mad that he didn’t understand.  His logical brain couldn’t wrap around something so outrageous and it frustrated him.  It had to be black and white or nothing at all, but this was all sorts of shades of grey.  I moved my hand again to hold out the carton of curly fries and Kyle’s expression finally relaxed. “Take it and sit down, Kyle,” I ordered. “I’m gonna explain everything.”

I did.  I explained everything from the beginning.  I explained the first time I died.  I explained how I found Chaos and what he was capable of.  I explained my impossible strength and Chaos’ knack for trying to paralyse me.  I explained Dr. Wrath and how the destruction of the factory was our fault.  I explained everything that I could think of as Kyle and Stan sat listening intently.  Kyle didn’t make it half through is fries before he set them down and sat forward with his hands pressed together to rest against his lips.  He was thinking hard.

“It was weird but I couldn’t hit him, and then when Chaos’ energy wrapped around my hand, I hit him.  It triggered an intense amount of energy though and that must have started the fire,” I explained.  I was pacing between the television and the coffee table.  It was too much information to explain while standing still. “Professor Chaos, he knew Dr. Wrath.  I’m not sure how, but they knew each other.  He kept talking about past lives and Life and Death and Fate like they were living, breathing things.  It was fucking crazy,” I explained and scoffed loudly.

“Almost as crazy as listening to your best friend talk about how he’s immortal?” Kyle asked.

I stopped pacing.  My eyes widened and I quickly spun my head around to look over at him.  His lips were set in a thin line. “It—It’s not the same,” I replied nervously.

“No?  How so?” Kyle pressed.

“He’s a lunatic in a cape and mask,” I answered and immediately realized the error I made when Kyle’s eyebrow lifted. “You know what I mean.”

“Kenny, I told you this before but I think it’s time you seriously consider the fact that Chaos is not the villain we thought he was in the beginning,” Kyle explained and I rolled my eyes. “Listen to me.  It didn’t really make a whole lot of sense before, but now it kind of does.  It sounds like there was a reason for the things he was doing.”

“But you probably didn’t listen,” Stan spoke up finally.  He had been silent the entire time.

“I didn’t…not listen,” I replied slowly.

“He didn’t listen,” Stan turned to say to Kyle.

“Not only do I think he has the answers, but I think you need him.  And I think you know that too.  You even said yourself that you couldn’t touch Dr. Wrath until Chaos helped,” Kyle explained and I groaned loudly as I rubbed my palms against my face. “Kenny, you’re being stubborn for no reason at all.  Chaos is not the bad guy, and you know it.  You need him to defeat the real bad guy, and you know that too.  And it’s all because you have a crush on him.”

Stan chuckled. “I do not have a crush on Chaos!” I growled loudly.

Kyle lifted his hand to hold his thumb and index finger close together without actually touching.  I lifted my hand to flip him off and he smiled. “In all seriousness, as much as I want to tell you this all sounds psychotic and that we should get your head checked out, I trust you more than that.  And I think you need to talk to Chaos.  Hear him out.  Listen to him and give him the benefit of the doubt.”

He wasn’t wrong.  I had pushed Chaos away but it was only because I was terrified of everything he had to say.  I had handled everything so far without cracking, but to discover one more fucked up thing about me was too much.  It felt like I was discovering every day that I was less and less human.  Kyle was right though.  Just because it was difficult for me to believe didn’t mean it wasn’t true.  And now that Dr. Wrath had attacked, I wanted him gone before he did serious damage and the only way to do that was with Chaos’ help.

“You know, I wanted to tell you so you’d stop being mad at me, not so you’d do your voodoo magic crap on me with your logic filled brain,” I explained, my arms crossed tightly over my chest.

Kyle scoffed loudly. “Yeah, as if that was gonna happen,” he replied and grinned.

Dr. Wrath was powerful and I could sense it every time he used his abilities.  It was nothing that Professor Chaos and I had alone.  Together though, we were an unstoppable force.  When Chaos’ energy wrapped around my hand I felt stronger than I had ever felt in my life.  I sighed loudly and moved my hands up under my hood to press my fingers against my temples. “Come on, Chaos.  I can’t wait around for you to decide when to show yourself,” I said quietly to the open air. “And it’s not like I know what I’m doing here.  Pretty much just winging it right now.”

I decided to pick a large rooftop with a lot of space and not too far from the ground, just in case.  Chaos and I had a knack for the inevitable of hurting each other, even if we didn’t mean to.  Chaos was a bit more physical about it but me…I was worst.  I tore him down a few times.  Looking back at it, I couldn’t understand why he didn’t throw me off a few buildings.  I let my arrogance get the better of me.  If we were right and he was doing the things he was doing just to help me, I was the worst kind of person.

“Ugh,” I groaned as I lowered myself to a crouch, my hands pressed to the sides of my head. “Come on.  What do you want me to do?  Do you want me to apologize?  To beg?” I asked and tilted my head back to look up at the sky.  The dark canvas was painted with specks of light.  There were no clouds.  It was such a clear night.  I lowered my hands and rocked back so I sat and stared up at the bright stars above.  I never really noticed the stars when we moved to Denver.  There were too many lights but, on the rooftop, the lights disappeared and I could see the sky clearly like I used to in South Park.  I used to sit on the rooftop of our old, battered garage and stare at the sky when my mom and dad would start fighting.  I could hear their muffled shouting through the nearest window, but it all fell away in the peaceful quiet.

“Are you insane?” I flinched and whipped my head around.  My entire body relaxed.  It was him.  It was Chaos standing at the edge of the rooftop.  I scrambled to my feet. “You can’t just sit out here with your energy going all wild while Dr. Wrath is out there waiting to grab you,” Chaos snapped angrily.  My boots clunked heavily against the rooftop. “He’s just waiting to—what are you doing?”

I moved quickly across the space between us.  I was only a few steps away when Professor Chaos finally reacted to me stomping towards him.  His body went rigid and he leaned back, a little too far.  I watched as he lost his balance, arms flailed.  My last few steps were quicker and longer so I could get to him faster.  My fingers clutched tightly onto the front of his shirt and I pulled him forward.  He stumbled, lost his balance, and crashed into me.  I had been moving on instinct rather than thought so the sudden weight thrown at me caught me off guard.  Everything moved quickly in a flash of limbs and flying capes.  I groaned loudly when everything stopped spinning and pushed myself up onto my hands and knees.  Chaos let out a pain filled moan.  He had impacted hard with the rooftop even though I had tried to slow his fall.

“Chaos?” I said in a lowered voice and touched my hand to his cheek.  He was warm, even with the cold air that wrapped around us.  His eyes opened and I saw the flash of blue before the glow of violet set in.  Something about his eyes made my body tingle.  I let my fingers dance over his skin below his eye.  It was soft there.  I wasn’t expecting it to be so damn soft.  Realization suddenly set in.  _What the hell am I doing?_   I quickly pulled my hand away and pushed myself to my feet.  Chaos didn’t move for a moment and then slowly sat up. “Are—Are you alright?” I asked nervously though I tried to fight back the shake in my voice that threatened to expose my real tone underneath.

“What are you doing out here?” Chaos asked as he looked up at me. “It’s dangerous to be out here, especially if you’re waving your energy around like a big white flag just asking to be attacked.”

His tone was low and full of frustration.  It was well earned frustration.  I wasn’t making anything easy for him. “I was looking for you, actually,” I answered and reached my hand out towards him.  Silence hung between us.  Chaos’ eyes shifted to look at my hand.  He looked hesitant, like he was worried I was going to break off a finger or something, but he pushed past it to reach out and take it.  I pulled to help him to his feet and felt something shock my skin where our palms met. “Fuck, ow!”

Chaos quickly reeled back. “Sorry, I—I didn’t—,” he started to say with a panicked voice.

“Chaos, it’s alright.  I’m fine.  It’s not the worst you’ve done to me,” I explained and watched his expression darken.

“Why were you trying to find me, Mysterion?  You told me to disappear,” he mentioned dryly.

I let out a long sigh and lifted my hand to scratch my head under my hood. “I will admit I may have jumped the gun a bit there, but I needed some time to process what the hell was happening,” I explained and noticed Chaos’ eyes narrow slightly. “Alright, I was a straight up asshole and you didn’t deserve it.  Well, maybe a little bit because of all the shit you’ve put me through but you’re not as bad of a guy as I thought.”

“What makes you say that?” he asked curiously.

I shrugged my shoulders. “You’ve never meant to hurt me.  It may have seemed like it at first but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.  You weren’t out to hurt me, you were doing the things you were doing for something else.  I don’t know what it is exactly and I don’t know if you’ll tell me now after I was a complete ass to you, but I’m willing to listen whenever you—,” I rambled until I was interrupted.

“It was because of Dr. Wrath,” Chaos said quickly.  I quickly snapped my mouth shut and my eyebrows furrowed together.  He suddenly seemed nervous.  He shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants and his gaze lowered. “I’ll explain everything to you.  No lies or cryptic lines, just the truth.  Some of it may be confusing, but in order to understand everything, I’d have to tell you things about who I really am.” My heart picked up speed for a second at the thought.  I had never had the urge to find out who he was, but suddenly I felt like I needed to know. “I can’t tell you, hopefully for obvious reasons.  Can I trust you to understand that?”

I was met with the bright violet eyes again.  I nodded slowly. “You can trust me, Chaos.”

He nodded back and then looked around.  He sat on top of a vent that stuck up from the roof and folded his hands on his lap.  I stayed standing.  I knew if I sat then I’d get restless too quickly. “The first thing you need to understand is that I’ve met Dr. Wrath before,” he started his explanation.

I scoffed. “I gathered that,” I said sarcastically and Chaos glared up at me.  I quickly waved my hand in front of me. “Sorry, my bad.  Continue.”

“The first time I met Dr. Wrath was not in this country but in England.  It was a few months before I met you.  It was a brief interaction but it went about the same way as your first encounter with him.  The only difference was that I remembered,” Chaos explained and pressed his fingertips together. “I remembered a series of lives I didn’t live.  I remembered faces I didn’t know that belonged to the lives of my curse.  The Curse of Death.”

“So, you’re Death.  I’m Life?  And Wrath is—?” I asked skeptically but tried hard to hide it.

“Fate,” Chaos answered in a lowered voice.

I nodded slowly. “Right, I forgot, sorry,” I replied.  He lifted his head again and I crossed my arms over my chest as I loudly cleared my throat. “Keep going,” I said, my voice low.

“It’s a cycle.  Every one hundred years, the curses cling to new lives.  There’s no explanation.  Not one that I know of at least,” Chaos explained and it sounded like he was struggling to keep his voice levelled. “But in every life, Fate has threatened lives and it’s been up to Life and Death to stop it.”

“Forgive me when I say, that doesn’t sound right at all,” I said and Chaos’ eyebrows narrowed together. “Fate wants to hurt people?  Death is…death.  Why wouldn’t Death want to hurt people?”

“It’s about balance, Mysterion.  Life and Death want balance, Fate wants whatever the hell they want.  Fate wants to cause harm and destruction.  Death wants—I want to restore the balance,” Chaos explained and something suddenly clicked in my head.  It was a strange thought but it was only provoked when I saw the flash of his eyes turn to blue for a quick second.

“So Death is like a second part of you?” I asked.

The tension in Chaos’ face disappeared. “It is.  Just like Life is a part of you, but for some reason, it’s like you’re resisting it,” he explained.

“It’s not on purpose.  I didn’t even know about Life until you brought it up,” I replied and frowned.

Chaos shook his head slowly. “I thought if I pushed you hard enough, it would force it out.”

“Wait,” I said as I took a step forward and lowered myself to crouch in front of him. “Is that why you started as a bad guy?”

Chaos inhaled and sighed loudly. “It was obvious you didn’t know.  Your energy was out of control and you ran into the line of fire without even thinking.  I knew it was only a matter of time before Wrath would find you.  If you weren’t ready, if he managed to recruit you to his side, that would be the end.”

“Why?” I asked.

Chaos’ leg had started to bounce.  He quickly rose to his feet and started to pace away from me.  I stood watching him. “You’re far more powerful than what you think, Mysterion.  If you joined Fate, you’d both be unstoppable to do harm.  Against him though, you could put everything Wrath has planned to an end,” Chaos stopped to face me. “Wrath is scared of you, Mysterion.  If you won’t join him, he’ll find a way to remove you, because you’re the only person in this world who can truly hurt him.”

I scoffed loudly as I quickly shook my head. “I can’t even hit him on my own,” I replied. “I only hit him because of your help last time.”

“That’s because you’re resisting.  You’re holding back,” he explained, voice raising slightly in volume. “Fate is going hurt a lot of people if you don’t stop him.”

“With your help,” I said quickly and Chaos shifted his weight.  I slowly shook my head. “I don’t know a lot, but I know that I can’t do this alone.  You’ve been helping me since the beginning, and I still need your help.  If I’m going to stop Wrath, I need you by my side.”

Chaos was silent and I couldn’t help the laughter that escaped my throat.  I slowly shook my head and lifted my hand to rub the back of my head through my hood. “What’s so funny?” he asked, his arms crossed sternly over his chest.

“I just—Someone I know who is always annoyingly right about things was right about you too,” I explained without looking at Chaos. “He said you weren’t a bad guy.  I didn’t want to listen to him but he was right.  All this time you’ve just been trying to help me.”

“Well that, and I was having a bit of fun beating you the hell up,” he said jokingly.

It was the first joke I heard from him.  Actually, it was the first time I had heard him say anything remotely positive that wasn’t forced.  I looked up just in time to catch the end of a small smirk that had formed on his face.  Even though in the blink of an eye it was gone, I couldn’t stop the faster pace my heart picked up in my chest.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

The library was full of people.  Noise wrapped around me in a haze of indistinctive words and light laughter.  I sat at the square table that could hold four people with Kyle and Stan who were studying.  I was there mostly to help Stan who was one hand short but also because when he caught me pacing in my room still half dressed in my Mysterion costume, he insisted on me getting out of the apartment.  I think he was worried about leaving me alone all day with my thoughts and I wasn’t necessarily up for being alone either.  So that’s how I came to be sitting in the college library surrounded by people with my conversation with Chaos rattling around in my head, repeating itself like a broken record as Kyle and Stan searched for a specific book in one of the long aisles nearby.  It still sounded crazy to me, but there was something about what he said that stuck to the back of my mind.

_“You’re holding back.”_

It was like being told you were really bad at something you practiced every day at.  It hurt, but deep down, I knew he was right.  I was holding something back.  It had been like that since my first death.  It was like that every time I felt my adrenaline overflow and I was suddenly moving without thinking.  I never thought about it before.  It was like a natural reflex.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my messy hair.  I felt exhausted.  I hadn’t slept all night while I was trying to piece everything together in my mind.  The more I thought about it all, the more it made sense to me.  And the more it made sense, the more embarrassed I got about the way I acted.  I flipped out on Chaos.  I lied to Kyle and Stan.  I hid from the truth like an idiot and it almost got my best friends killed.  I needed to get better but I couldn’t do it alone.  Kyle and Stan were supportive, as always, but they couldn’t quite fully understand what it was that was going on.  The only one who understood was Chaos but I knew my hesitation was coming from my skepticism.  He had done so many things, with good reason, but it still made me cautious.  It could have all been a trap and there was no way for me to know except to keep both eyes wide open.  I groaned and rubbed my fingertips hard against my skull.  A headache was forming deep in my brain.

“You alright there, Ken?” The headache immediately disappeared.  I dropped my hand as I quickly lifted my head and Butters was standing on the opposite side of the table from me, his one hand shoved into his pocket as he held his books with his other hand.  He tilted his head slightly and blinked. “You don’t look so good,” he explained and gently set his books down.  He pressed his hand against the table as he leaned forward to move closer to me.  He removed his hand from his pocket and reached out to press his palm against my forehead with his fingers threaded in my hair. “Are you sick?”

Warmth radiated off his skin and into mine.  I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.  My chest tightened painfully. “Don’t get too close,” a voice echoed in my head.  I had heard it before but it didn’t click at first as I quickly jolted away from Butters’ soft touch. “The more you care about, the more Fate will use against you and the more you will lose.”

“Kenny?” Butters said in a low, worried voice.  His hand lowered towards mine that sat on the table but he stopped himself before our skin touched.

“Love.  Friendship.  It is all weakness that can be used against you.”

“I—I’m fine, Butters.  I’m just tired,” I answered as I moved my hand off the table to rest in my lap.  Butters’ face was contorted into confusion.  He slowly pulled back as he leaned away, obvious irritation on his face.  I leaned back far in my chair with my foot propped up against the leg of the table.  I rocked back on the back legs of my chair as I shoved my hands into the pockets of my sweater.  I was trying to hide their shaking.  I didn’t want Butters to see. “Don’t worry about me.  I’m alright,” I added with a small smile, hoping that it would help but it just made Butters frown.

“Butters!” Stan said loudly and smacked the blonde’s back as he passed by.  The force made him jerk forward with a small grunt.  I used my foot to push Stan’s chair out from under the table. “What are you doing here?”

“Kyle told me you guys were here and I had some time in between classes,” Butters answered.  He had pushed aside the confusion and worry to smile at Stan. “How do you feel?”

Everyone was sitting.  Kyle dropped a book in front of Stan and then opened the one he kept in front of himself. “I am great.  I’ve got some kickass drugs—,” the raven-haired boy started to say.

“That you are not supposed to pop like hard candy,” Kyle interrupted to add without looking up from his book he was flipping through.  Kyle had to take away the pills from Stan to keep him from unknowingly overdosing.  Stan pouted but Kyle was stubborn.

“—which are the best.  They give me superpowers,” Stan explained.

“They make you high, Stanley,” I corrected him while still tilting my chair back.

Stan turned his head dramatically to look at me. “No, they give me superpowers,” he explained.

I grinned. “Yeah?  What superpowers?” I asked.  High on pain medicine Stan was very similar to drunk Stan, and I liked drunk Stan.

“The superpower to put up with your annoying ass,” he answered and then burst into hysterical laughter that caught the attention of a few students around us.

I slowly shook my head.  I really liked high on pain medication Stan.  The medication was strong for him but the alternative was worst.  Kyle and I had to keep an eye on him because the pain was so random.  One time he was sitting on the couch watching television with me and then suddenly exploded into tears.  The pain had hit him so hard he could barely breathe.  I sat holding him as the medication took its time working.  It was terrifying to see him in pain.  I was the reason for that pain and it was hard to look at Stan who was suffering without feeling hopeless.

Stan finally finished his laughter and turned his attention back to Butters who was smiling widely at our taller friend’s outburst. “So, Butters, I’ve got to ask,” Stan explained with dramatic emphasise whenever he could throw it in.  That made Butter’s curiosity peek as his eyebrow lifted slightly.  Stan reached his hand out to press his index finger against the corner of the familiar black book on the bottom of Butters’ pile. “Can I see what is inside your mystery book of doodles?”

Butters swallowed noticeably.  His smile instantly disappeared.  He was nervous as he rubbed his knuckles together in his lap. “I, uh—they’re not very good.  They’re just sketches.  Nothing impressive,” he explained sheepishly.  His cheeks had the slightest touch of pink from his worry.  It was genuine how worried he was about his work.

“Butters,” I said as I gently set my chair on all four legs and leaned forward. “I’ve seen your work, it’s incredible.  Rough sketches or not, you’re a really good artist,” I explained one hundred percent truthfully.

The small blush on Butters cheeks expanded.  He smiled across the table at me and carefully shifted his books to pick up the sketchbook at the bottom.  Stan took it with a giddy squeal and flipped it open.  I rolled my eyes.  I felt a foot gently tap my knee and I looked over to see Kyle handing me a sandwich he pulled from his backpack.  I shook my head a few times. “You need to eat something.  You haven’t had anything since yesterday,” he explained.

“I’m good,” I answered and waved my hand dismissively at my red headed friend.

Kyle’s face scrunched into heavy confusion.  I flashed him a quick smile before I turned my head away. “Butters, these are amazing,” Stan said and caught our attention. “Why didn’t you tell us you were a natural born Picasso?” he asked as he lifted his head to look over at Butters.  His smile was quickly shifted to furrowed eyes and frowned mouth. “Wait, is that a compliment?  Was Picasso good or just crazy?”

“I think all artists are at least a bit crazy, Stan,” Butters answered with a small smile. “And I didn’t really know until I left.  I met a man in Germany.  He was a street artist and I instantly fell in love with his art,” Butters explained and moved his chair so he was beside Stan.  He flipped through a few pages of his sketchbook and then pressed his finger to a specific page. “This is him.  Ivan.”

“He kind of looks like your dad, Kyle,” Stan said with a wide grin and continued to flip through the book.  He was nearing the end of it when he suddenly stopped and I saw Butters suddenly tense. “Is this Kyle?” The red head lifted his head at the sound of his name.

“It’s a really rough sketch,” Butters replied sheepishly.

Kyle was suddenly on his feet and quickly walked around the table to stand behind Stan. “Hey, that is me,” he said surprisingly. “Kenny, come look at this.”

I moved to stand next to Kyle to look at the drawing.  It was Kyle made up of rough lines and shading.  He was smiling in the drawing and I wasn’t sure how, but Butters managed to perfectly catch the way the bottom of his eyes would wrinkle a certain way anytime he did. “Is there one of me?” Stan asked and flipped the page.  The next few pages were rougher sketches of random things and people until he stopped on a page of himself.  A small smirk and slightly narrowed eyes. “How could your parents not be supportive of you becoming an artist?  You’re a fucking natural.”

“Come on Stan, it is Butters’ parents you’re talking about here,” Kyle said as he gently nudged Stan’s good shoulder.

Stan hummed and rocked his head back and forth. “Yeah, I guess.  I just don’t get how anyone could be like that,” he explained.

“Not everyone can be as obnoxiously optimistic as you, Stan,” Kyle said and ruffled the raven black hair of his friend.

“Ow!  Kyle, knock it off!” Stan snapped as he struggled to swing at Kyle with his only good hand.

“Oh, that’s fun!  What’s the matter Stan?” Kyle teased him and continued to ruffle his hair violently.

“Do you really think you can protect them?” the voice came back along with a loud, painful ringing in my ears.  I took a large step back and pressed the heel of my hand against my forehead. “Fate will tear them from this world.  It will take everything you care about from you.  Are you ready to let that happen?  Are you ready to let them die for you?”

Butters turned his head from laughing at Kyle and Stan to look at me.  The smile he had faded into worry. “Kenny?” he called out.  Kyle stopped harassing Stan to turn to face me as well.

I shook my head but kept my hand pressed hard against my head. “It’s up to you, but you will watch them suffer,” the voice added.

Butters’ chair scraped against the floor as he stood. “Kenny, what’s wrong?” he asked and he was moving towards me.  He had his hand stretched out ready to touch my shoulder but I quickly caught his wrist. “Kenny—.”

His wide, blue eyes stared at me so intensely.  I moved my gaze from Butters to Kyle who had his lips set in a flat line and then to Stan who was turned in his seat.  My attention moved down to the cast that wrapped around his arm holding the broken pieces together. “That’s all because of you.”

I quickly let go of Butters’ wrist as I jolted away. “I’m leaving,” I said in a flat tone as I shoved my hands into the pockets of my sweater.  I could see Butters move to call out to me, maybe even grab me to stop me, but Kyle stopped him.  I was glad he did.  I would have spotted if he asked.  I would have stayed if he begged.  I would have cracked for him.

I weaved through the people to make it as fast as I possibly could out of the building.  I was struggling to breathe.  I slammed my car door shut behind me and held on tightly to the steering wheel.  My knuckles turned white from the painful grip I had.

“Now are you starting to get the picture?” the voice asked.

“Shut up!” I shouted and slammed my hands against the steering wheel. “I’m going crazy,” I whispered and lifted my hands to run my fingers through my hair. “I’m going fucking crazy,” I repeated myself.

“Generally, if someone is hearing voices in their head that is a good indicator that they’re going crazy, but not in this case,” the voice explained and I groaned loudly. “How about this instead?”

I quickly dropped my hands and looked up.  In the reflection of my rear-view mirror sat…me.  It was me, but it wasn’t me. “Holy shit,” I snapped and then spun around.  The seat behind me was empty. “What the fuck?”

“I’m still just in your head,” my non-existent twin explained.  I turned back in my seat to look at him through the mirror. “Does this make it a bit easier to comprehend though?”

“Not really,” I answered.  I was pretty sure my heart was going to commit suicide against my ribcage with how hard it was beating. “What the hell is going on?  Who are you?”

“You’ve been careless, Kenny,” he explained and crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ve been selfish thinking you could have your normal life and the life of your curse at the same time.  It doesn’t work.  Your friend even got hurt because of you and you’re still selfishly holding on to him.  Are you wanting to get him killed?”

“Of course not!” I snapped angrily.

“Well, you’re definitely on the right track to do so,” he explained with a loud scoff. “I told you Kenny.  Everything has happened because of you.  Everyone you know and care about will be hurt, all because of your selfish inability to let them go.”

I scowled.  I knew exactly where I had heard the voice from. “You were in my dream, after Wrath attacked the grocery store,” I said in a low voice.

He scoffed loudly and shook his head. “This is just pathetic.  Seriously, are you so dense that you still don’t get it?  You still don’t understand.”

“Don’t understand what?” I snapped.

“You can’t protect them.  You’re weaker having to worry about them.  How do you expect to stop Fate if you’re only thinking about protecting them?” he asked and then leaned forward slightly. “Answer something for me.  Make me understand.  What happens if Fate takes them?  What if he makes you choose between them and the world?  What would you choose?” I clenched my jaw.  He chuckled and shook his head as he sat back. “That’s what I thought.  Weak.  You’d let others suffer to save them.  What a joke.”

“I don’t want anyone to suffer,” I replied in a low voice.

“And yet you’re willing to let it happen for your own selfish reasons,” he explained with a shrug of his shoulders. “Admit it, you’re weak because of them.”

I shifted my gaze away from the mirror.  My hands were shaking against the steering wheel.  I wanted to scream back, to deny everything, but I couldn’t.  There was so much pain and suffering because of me.  Stan wasn’t the only one who was hurt during the blast at the grocery store.  No one died, but there were five people other than Stan and I who ended up in the hospital, including the police officer who was flipped in his cruiser by Wrath.

The passenger side door suddenly opened with a low groan.  I quickly turned my head and Stan lowered himself in the seat to shut the door behind him. “Stan, what are you—?” I started to ask, my voice shaking slightly but I couldn’t stop it.

“Drive, Kenny,” Stan said sternly.

“I don’t—.”

“Drive,” Stan snapped, interrupting me from saying anything else.

There was something upsetting about the tone of Stan’s voice.  He rarely ever sounded like that.  It was a complete turnaround from how he was only moments before in the library. I turned the engine on and looked up into the mirror.  My lookalike was gone.  Stan was silent as I drove.  It made me nervous.  I tapped my finger against the steering wheel and shifted my eyes to the side occasionally to see if I could catch a glimpse of my friend’s expression.  He had his head turned away though and only spoke to give me directions.  I was so caught up in my thoughts wondering what the hell was happening that I didn’t realize where we were going until we arrived in a parking space next to the park we would run to some mornings.

“Let’s go, Kenny,” Stan said sternly as he pushed open his door and slid out of the car.  I swallowed down the lump of nerves in my throat.

It was cold outside which meant there weren’t a lot of people wandering through the park.  We were, for the most part, alone which I think made me even more nervous.  Stan was still quiet as he led the way down the path towards the benches we would use as our marker to stop and turn around.  The benches we raced to the first time we went running together.  When we reached them, Stan stopped but he didn’t turn to face me.  He just stood staring at the bench in front of him.  I couldn’t take it anymore.  The silence was killing me.

“Stan, what are we doing here?” I finally asked.

Stan’s shoulders tensed.  He quickly spun around to face me.  His eyes were so dark that I stopped breathing for a moment.  I held his intense stare as he sat down on the bench.  I could feel the tension radiating off him.  I tried to swallow the bundle of nerves again but it didn’t move from where it was lodged in my throat.

“All through elementary and middle school, you were a quiet kid.  You hid under the hood of your parka and barely spoke above a muffle, but who was it that always understood you?” Stan asked.  My hands were shoved into the pockets of my sweater to shield them from the cold and I shrugged my shoulders slightly up to my ears. “It was always me and Kyle and Butters.  We always understood you, and that never changed.  So when there’s something obviously going on with you, we know.  When you’re bothered by something, we fucking know, Kenny.”

“Stan—,” I said with a small sigh.

“Why do you think this happened to me?” he interrupted as he pointed to his arm wrapped in his cast.  I frowned. “Do you think it was because of you?  You think that you somehow are the cause for what happened?”

“I am the cause of it.  Wrath was after me,” I answered sternly.

“Wrath is a psychotic idiot,” Stan retaliated. “He attacked a building full of people in broad daylight.  He even attacked a cop.”

“Because of me,” I snapped back. “Which is why I need to leave.”

Stan’s shoulders tensed and I saw him flinch.  It must have been painful for him but he immediately pushed it aside to yell at me. “What the hell are you talking about?” he snapped angrily.

“Wrath knows who I am.  He knows how to get to me because he knows who I care about.  That means, you guys aren’t safe with me around.  It’s better that I leave and we cut all ties.  If you guys don’t know where I am, Wrath won’t have any reason to—,” I began to explain as I paced.

Stan exploded into loud laughter. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he asked.  I stopped and faced him as I scowled. “You really think that will make this all better?  If you leave he’ll just forget about us?  You realize how completely stupid that sounds, right?  If anything, you leaving will put us in the most amount of danger.  Being right next to you is the safest place we can possibly be,” he explained, his voice low and forceful. “I know you, Kenny.  If Wrath kidnapped any one of us, you’d travel across the world to find us.”

I shook my head. “The closer you are to me, the more likely he will come after you.  He’ll use you to get to me.”

“Stop,” Stan snapped.

“He wants me to give up and give in to him.  He wants me to help cause destruction,” I continued, ignoring his forceful tone.

“Enough, Kenny,” Stan growled.

“He wants me to hurt people,” I continued and felt my voice shake. “I can’t be responsible for people getting hurt.”

“Kenny!” Stan shouted.

“And I can’t promise to keep you safe from all this!  He’ll come after you.  He’ll come after Kyle.  He’ll use you guys to get to me.  Again and again and again until I cave in and give him what he wants.  I can’t give him what he wants though or I’ll risk the entire world,” I explained and my voice finally cracked.

“You’re making it sound as if you’re the only person here with a say in all this,” Stan snapped angrily.  My shoulders shook and it had nothing to do with the cold that wrapped around me. “You’re not going anywhere, Kenny.  We are here, regardless, and we’re going to stop Wrath together,” Stan explained, his voice slightly lowered.

I shook my head rapidly. “No!  I’m not going to let you get hurt again.  I’m not going to let Kyle or Butters or Karen or anyone else get hurt because of me!” I shouted and felt the sting in my eyes that spread to my nose.

“Kenny,” Stan snapped and stood to step towards me.  His uninjured hand lifted to press it to the side of my head. “I will take any broken bone over losing you.  Kyle and I knew from the beginning that you’d eventually try to run.  That you’d blame yourself for everything and crush yourself under your own guilt.  And we agreed that we would make sure you didn’t go anywhere, even if it meant chaining you to the damn floor of the apartment.”

The tears that were on the verge of forming in my eyes retreated.  I felt my scowl turn up into a small smile. “You know, you can just tell me you fell in love with me if it’ll make you feel better.  You don’t have to get so mushy on me,” I teased.

Stan rolled his eyes as he scoffed loudly.  He moved his hand off my face to wrap his arm around me to pull me in tightly against him. “Why do you always have to ruin it, moron?” he asked and I hugged him back but not tight enough that I hurt him.

“I don’t know,” I answered and exhaled sharply. “Stan, he’s going to come for you guys.”

He released his arm from around me to clamp his hand on my shoulder. “Let him try, Kenny.  You have to remember, he has to get through you first.  And then he has to get through us.”

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

“So, Wrath is the leader of the Arachne Gang,” Chaos said in a low voice as if verifying the words were real.  I didn’t respond except with a small humming noise in the back of my throat. “How did he manage that in such a short amount of time?” he asked curiously.  He may not have been asking me directly, but I still responded again with a tiny humming sound. “I guess it makes sense.  We’ll need to keep a close eye on them.  They were dangerous before, now they’ll be even worst with Wrath coming out of hiding.” I was listening to his words but it felt like he was far away with my thoughts blocking the space between us.  It wasn’t until he nudged my shoulder with his knee that I finally snapped out of my daze. “Mysterion, what’s going on with you tonight?  You’ve been distracted and your energy is especially unstable.”

I sighed loudly and slowly shook my head.  I was crouched at the edge of the rooftop as my cape draped around me to keep me warm. “Can I ask you something?” I asked in a low voice. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“What is it?” Chaos asked in response, curiosity tainting his voice.

“You must have people who care about you.  Friends and family who worry about you,” I started to say and wrapped my arms around my knees to hug them against my chest. “Do they know about who you are?  Do they know about what you can do?”

Chaos exhaled slowly. “No, no one knows.  That’s probably my greatest fear,” he admitted and I quickly turned my head to look up at him. “If they find out who I am, I’m afraid they’ll never really understand.  They’ll shut me out or worst, they’ll be afraid of me,” he explained and paused as sorrow formed on his face.

“So, there’s not a single soul who knows both sides of you?” I asked.

Chaos lowered his head slightly. “No, I wouldn’t want that kind of burden put on them.  I care too much for them,” he said, his voice low and almost inaudible.

“There has to be someone you trust enough with this.  Someone who keeps you grounded,” I mentioned and lifted my hand to press it to my head.

I saw the quick flash of a smile on Chaos’ face before he lifted his head. “There is someone who I’ve thought about a few times.  I’ve been close to telling them on more than one occasion, but I’m scared that once I do, everything will change.  I’m afraid that they’ll look at me and see—,” he explained but stopped himself.  I could make out the pain on his face, even through his half mask.  I felt it.  It made my body tense and _his_ face suddenly flashed in my mind.  His bright blue eyes.  His contagious smile.

“A monster?” I added in the silence.  Chaos pressed his lips tightly together and nodded. “Yeah, I know how that is.  It’s terrifying to tell someone you’re not who they thought you were.  That you’re dangerous and maybe even a little insane.”

“You said last time that someone you knew was right about me.  Does that mean they know about you as well?” Chaos asked.

I scoffed. “Not by my choice,” I answered. “He’s annoyingly stubborn and nosey.  He and someone else I know found out,” I explained and then shook my head. “Though I can’t completely blame them.  I was careless in the beginning.”

“Mysterion, that’s dangerous.  This is not the sort of thing for just anyone,” Chaos snapped.

“I know, trust me I know, but like I said, they’re stubborn,” I replied and heard a door creak open below.

“Sounds like someone I know,” Chaos replied in a quiet voice.

“Him,” I practically shouted as I quickly stood. “That’s him.”

I was pointing down to a bald, tattoo covered man.  When he turned his head he revealed the long legged spider crawling up to his chin.  It took me a while to piece together how many times exactly I had encountered the gang member.  I woke from my sleep having had a dream about Wrath and my memories of the gang member snapped together like pieces to a puzzle.  The night the Vault was attacked and I found him with his hands wrapped around Stan’s neck, the night after I fell from the scaffolding and died in front of Chaos, and a few times randomly in alleyways across Denver.  He was the only one who stood out and consistently showed his face to me.  He was also the only one who ever gave me a clue about their boss who I newly discovered was Dr. Wrath.

“You’re sure?” Chaos asked.

I nodded slowly. “Absolutely.  If we have any chance at finding Wrath, it’s because of him,” I explained.  The man below was speaking to two other gang members before they split up. “Come on, we’ve got to—,” I started to say as I moved but a hand grabbed my wrist to stop me.

“Mysterion, hold on,” Chaos called out.  I quickly spun around and he immediately let go of me to step back. “Sorry, it’s just—I’m not opposed to following at a distance but I think it might be a good idea if we wait to engage Dr. Wrath.”

My eyebrows narrowed together. “Why?” I asked in a low growl.

“Because if you get within a block of where Wrath is, he’s going to sense you, especially if you start getting worked up,” Chaos explained and I opened my mouth to retaliate but he continued to speak. “You need to get better control of your energy.  I can help you, if—if you’ll let me, and then we can defeat Wrath.”

It was petty of me but I wanted to make some snide comment about no trust or something just for the hell of it, but I decided against it.  Chaos’ eyes intensely held my gaze.  He was serious and even though I hated to admit it, I wanted his help.  I wanted to stop Wrath and Chaos had far more experience than I did.

“Alright Chaos,” I said as I placed my hands on my hips with a small smirk. “Why don’t you show me what you’ve got?”

And for the second time in one night, I saw him smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit themightypookums.tumblr.com for original artwork by yours truly!


	9. No Masks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An alliance with the guy who has single-handedly made my life a living hell for well over a year, what the hell could go wrong? Maybe everything. Maybe nothing. It's like the damn lottery. Ugh. I mean, come on! When did all of this get so confusing? When did things like Life and Death come into play? I just wanted to help people from rapists and muggers. Now I've got a strained relationship with my best friends, I'm lying to my little sister, I'm hearing an annoying voice in my head, and I've got some guy named Dr. Wrath after me. That all seems fine...
> 
> CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> I want to thank EVERYONE who has been so supportive of Soulmates! You guys are all the best and make me so damn happy every single time I see a comment or kudos! You are all the absolute best!!
> 
> I also want to apologize for dragging this story out but I wanted to make sure it wasn't rushed. I know there hasn't been a whole lot of Bunny moments but don't you worry, they are coming. Trust me, it's going to be all worth it!
> 
> Enjoy lovelies!

I kept my footsteps light as I quickly crossed the dimly lit parking lot.  The dark figure turned into an alley to disappear from my sight but I kept my distance and continued to pursue.  I was focused hard on the softness of my footsteps.  The quietness of my body.  My back pressed against the wall of the building next to the dark alley and I exhaled quietly.  I peeked around the corner to watch as the figure disappeared again.  I inhaled slowly, waited, and then raced down the alleyway towards the corner where the figure had disappeared from my sight.  I reached the corner and was about to press against the building when the figure suddenly stepped out and grabbed me by the bottom of my neck.

“Ah, fuck!” I yelled.  I was thrown against the opposite building and then pinned there with a hand pressed hard against my chest. “Let go of—ow!” I shouted in pain when I was flicked hard on the forehead and a sharp shock of electricity shot through my skull. “Fuck, Chaos, that hurt.”

“You’re still not controlling your energy.  It leaks through when you move.  You have to stay focused at all times,” Chaos explained harshly.

His bright violet eyes were intense.  I scowled and smacked his hand away. “Do you think I’m not trying?  It’s not really the easiest to control something you don’t entirely understand,” I snapped back at him.  I slipped my hand under my hood to rub the back of my neck as I moved away from Chaos’ intense stare. “We’ve been doing the pretend stalking thing for three nights in a row and it’s not getting any better.”

“It takes time, Mysterion,” Chaos replied dryly.

“Time is something we don’t have!” I snapped as I spun around.

Chaos’ eyes widened. “Mysterion,” he said with a breathy voice.

“What?” I growled, my arms crossed over my chest.

Chaos frowned.  His eyes narrowed slightly and he took a large step towards me.  I tensed but didn’t move.  He was as close as he could be without touching me.  I hid my hands behind my back.  He reached up with one hand to press his fingertips underneath my eye.  It felt strange but I still didn’t move.

“Wh—What?” I repeated and my voice almost shook.

Chaos quickly pulled his hand away. “I think—I might have an idea,” he explained.  I tilted my head slightly out of reflex. “But you’re not gonna enjoy it.”

My eyebrows narrowed together. “What do you—?” I started to ask but stopped when the hard fist connected against my cheek with a loud crack. “Fuck!” I shouted.  The tangy metallic taste filled my mouth. “What the hell, Chaos?”

He chuckled deeply. “Whatever the hell I want,” he replied stubbornly.

“Well, knock it off,” I snapped and my head snapped to the side as a result of another blow to my opposite cheek.  I spat out the blood that formed in my mouth and glared at the slightly shorter man. “Enough, Chaos!”

Chaos swung at me again.  I caught his arm to stop him but he managed to twist around, grabbing my wrist, and threw me over his shoulder.  I slammed against the ground with a loud groan.  Chaos panted lightly and moved to stand over me.  The corner of his lips was turned up in a small, satisfied grin.

“Almost there,” he said like he was working on a project or something.  He crouched beside me and poked his finger against my cheek. “Had enough, Mysterion?”

“Screw off,” I snapped as I smacked his hand away. “I knew you were some crazy psychopath.”

“Am I now?” Chaos asked with a small scoff. “You should be thanking me right now instead of insulting me.”

“Why?” I growled.

“Because I just found out how to control your energy,” he said and rose to stand.  I quickly sat up and scowled at him. “Your energy is connected to your emotions.  The more intense the emotions you feel, like anger, the more difficult it becomes for you to control your energy,” he explained and shook his head. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.”

“So, what are you saying?” I asked and then a hand was offered out to me.

“If we can figure out how to control your emotions, we can control your energy,” Chaos explained.

I scoffed and reached my hand out to take his. “Good luck with that,” I replied sarcastically.  Chaos pulled to help me to my feet and I stumbled a step to stand with our chest almost touching but our clasped hands prevented the contact.  I knew I should have disconnected immediately.  I had to step back.  No matter how much I felt a pull towards him, I felt it since the beginning, I kept telling myself to get away, but I couldn’t. “I feel like I know you.”

Chaos’ eyes widened slightly. “What?” he asked and his voice shook with nerves.

“I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but I feel like I know you.  I feel like I’ve known you even before I met you,” I explained and felt the small squeeze of the hand in mine. “How is that possible, Chaos?”

“Anything is possible, Mysterion,” he explained and the hand slowly let go of mine. “You’ll see, I promise.”

“I don’t—,” I started to say but stopped when I heard the loud shouting of multiple voices in the distance.  My eyebrows furrowed together and I turned to face the direction of where the noise was coming from.  They were raised and frantic as if they were arguing.

“What is it?” Chaos asked.

“Do you hear that?” I asked and tilted my head to the side slightly.

“Hear what?” he asked in response but quickly realized what it was when a few loud pops of gunfire echoed through the alley, bouncing off the walls of the buildings around us to carry the noise directly at us. “That’s not—wait, Mysterion!”

I was running.  I didn’t think before I quickly lunged forward to chase after the origin of the noise.  Gunfire wasn’t necessarily uncommon in Denver, but it almost always was because of one reason.  The Arachne gang.  Before meeting Dr. Wrath, they seemed like your standard, run of the mill territory gang that did what they did for fun.  They never really seemed to be doing what they were doing for any specific reason.  Or at least, not a reason I could think of, not until Wrath showed up and everything finally started to make sense.

“Mysterion, slow down!” Chaos shouted as I jumped up to grab on to the bottom of the staircase fire escape attached to the side of a tall building.  I pulled myself with minimal struggle and began to climb the steps, ignoring Chaos’ angry mumbling below.

The gunfire was coming from a large parking lot used as a second site for a car dealership.  It was the perfect playground for the gang against the half a dozen police officers who were dodging and hiding behind the vehicles.  I watched from the edge of the rooftop of the tall building to access what was happening below.  The police were outnumbered two to one and the gang wasn’t letting up.  A shot was fired from the gang’s side and a man let out a loud scream in pain.  An officer had been shot in the leg.  One of the other officers quickly dodged across the open space between parked cars to reach the injured man.

“Stop complaining, Hank,” a familiar voice snapped loudly. “You’ve probably passed gas that was more painful.”

“Officer Remis,” I said with a small grin.

“Who?” Chaos asked as he stepped up beside me, startling me slightly.

“Her, down there,” I said as I waved my hand towards the female officer tending to her injured comrade. “I’ve met her a few times.  She’s quite the firecracker.”

“You have a crush on her or something?” Chaos asked and I could hear the annoyance in his tone.

My cape rustled as I moved it back so I could grab my grappling hook.  I still thought it was kind of ridiculous, but it actually came it handy at times.  I turned to face my back to the edge of the roof as I tossed the hook.  Its arms caught a sturdy railing and I grinned over at Chaos whose eyebrows were furrowed together, though I couldn’t see the second hidden under his mask. “You almost sound jealous.  Of me or of her?” I joked and saw Chaos noticeably tense before I leaned back to fall off the edge of the roof.

_Why the hell did I say that?_

I landed hard on my feet and disconnected from the long rope.  A few more pops echoed and I quickly ducked behind a nearby vehicle.  The gang members were scattered throughout the lot which meant: I was going to have a lot of fun.

“What’s the plan, Captain Casanova?” Chaos asked with annoyance in his tone after he finished sliding down the rope I left behind and joined me hiding against the vehicle.

“Don’t let the cops see your ability,” I explained and expected a look of confusion or distrust, but he nodded and reached up to remove his cape.  It softly clattered against the ground and he shoved it under the car.  Without his cape, I was able to see the definition of the muscles in his shoulders because of his sleeveless shirt.  Something caught in my throat and formed a lump there. “Aren’t you going to get cold?”

“Are you worried?” Chaos asked and reached out towards me.  I flinched away but froze when he grabbed my hood to pull it forward slightly. “Now let’s have some fun.”

The lump grew in my throat as Chaos moved from our hiding spot.  We stayed within view of each other but kept distance between us as we moved from cover to cover.  The first few gang members were easy to subdue thanks to their poor judgement of splitting up in every direction.  It was the fifth gang member that made everything suddenly shift.

“Mysterion!” a man nearby shouted when I knocked the fifth man unconscious.

“Shit,” I swore under my breath.

The gang member quickly aimed his pistol towards me and I quickly dodged out of the way to roll behind a nearby vehicle.  The bullets ricocheted off the side of the car and sent sparks flying towards my face as I peeked around the corner. “Little help over here?” I snapped as I turned my head but Chaos was gone. “What the hell?” I muttered to myself and quickly looked around. “Where the hell did he—?” I started to ask but stopped when Chaos suddenly vaulted over the hood of a vehicle to slam his foot against the man’s head, knocking him unconscious.  I was staring.  I couldn’t look away.  The way his body moved was mesmerizing.  It wasn’t clunky or hesitant.  It was like watching a waterfall.  Powerful, fluid, and kind of…beautiful.

A few of the remaining gang members turned their attention to us.  Chaos quickly ducked and weaved through the vehicles to reach me. “Hey, so, I think they know we’re here,” he said with small panting breaths between his words.

“You think?” I snapped back sarcastically.  Most of the hostility was created by my own embarrassment but Chaos didn’t seem to mind it.

“What should we do?” he asked and wiped the back of his hand against his face.

“You take the right and I’ll take the left.  Don’t get shot,” I explained and shifted my weight.

“That’s your plan?” Chaos asked, his eyebrow lifted quizzically.

I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s better than no plan,” I answered and grinned.

Chaos rolled his eyes and nodded.  He disappeared around the corner and I split into my direction.  Fighting the gang was difficult when they knew we were there, but not impossible.  I could hear Chaos fighting nearby but out of view as I attacked from the shadows.  I slammed a gang member against the side of an SUV and looked up.  Officer Remis was moving between the vehicles with her pistol raised.  From where I stood, I could see the gang member sneaking around a truck getting ready to ambush her.

I quickly left my position to vault myself over the hood of a car and dashed towards the officer.  She heard me coming and stopped to face me as the movement from the other side of the truck got closer to the edge.

“Myster—!” Officer Remis began to yell but I tackled against her, forcing her back behind the vehicle behind her as the gang member stepped out to fire.

“Nice to see you again, Officer Remis,” I said to the woman with a wide grin on my face.  She glowered and pressed the end of her gun against my chest.  I quickly lifted my hands in surrender as I took a step back. “Alright, no need to be hasty, Officer.”

“You need to get the hell out of here, Mysterion,” the woman growled in a low voice.

“Oh, thanks for your help, Mysterion,” I started to say mockingly. “I really appreciate you saving me from a bullet to the head.  That’s awfully kind of you.”

“This is serious, kid.  You’re going to get hurt,” she snapped as she lowered his pistol to jam her finger against my chest. “Get out of here.  Stop putting yourself in unnecessary danger.”

“You worried about me officer?” I asked proudly.

The officer scowled deeply. “You’ve got to—,” she started to say but stopped when a few pops of gunfire echoed nearby.  I grabbed Officer Remis to quickly move us around the corner of the vehicle as the gang member ducked around to fire at us.

“Less chat, more fight,” I said and quickly ran around the back of the truck to grab the side and threw my body underneath.  I slid against the pavement and kicked in the side of the man’s legs.  He fell with a loud, pain filled grunt and his gun went flying under the sedan next to us.  I knocked the man unconscious and hissed at the sharp pain that shot through my knuckles.  The numerous punches and blows was beginning to take its toll on me.

A loud shot echoed through the air. “Ah!” Chaos suddenly screamed from nearby.  I quickly stood to look through the windows of the truck and Chaos was pressed to the side of a car clutching his arm.  Something was wrong and two gang members were getting closer.

I pulled myself up onto the top of the truck and jumped my way across vehicles to tackle one of the gang members advancing towards Chaos.  The loud snap of something breaking in his body would have normally made me flinch, but I was too hyper-focused.  I needed to save Chaos.

“Don’t hurt the purple one!” a voice shouted and I quickly spun around to see another gang member step from the shadows where he had been hiding.  He looked familiar.  I had seen him following around the bald guy before.  I recognized him because of his florescent blue hair spiked up in a mohawk.

“I knew I should have picked another colour,” I muttered and slammed my foot against the chest of the second gang member heading towards Chaos.  When he was unconscious, I dashed over to duck around the side of the car as a few shot were fired towards me.

“Idiots!” the blue haired gang member yelled angrily. “Don’t hurt him!  Get the other one!”

“Ouch!” Chaos snapped in pain as I bumped into him.

“Sorry, my bad,” I said and turned my head to see blood seeping between his fingers that clutched onto his arm. “What the hell happened?” I asked and shifted so I crouched in front of him. “Did you get shot?”

“Not on purpose,” Chaos snapped back at me.

“Hey, don’t get snappy with me,” I said as I quickly released my harness to dismantle it.

“What are you—?” he began to ask but I shushed him as I covered his mouth.

“The police are holding off what’s remaining of the gang but they won’t stay distracted if you keep making noise so try to stay quiet,” I explained and carefully wrapped the piece of the harness around his arm as gunfire continued around us. “Because this is gonna hurt.”

“Wait, Mysterion, don’t—,” Chaos started to panic but yelped when I pulled the harness tight and he let go of his arm to grab my shoulder.  His finger dug painfully into me but I let him so he could fight through whatever pain he was feeling in his arm.  I wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close to me.

“I’m sorry, I know it hurts,” I whispered and Chaos groaned quietly into my chest.

“Come out, come out wherever you are, Barney,” Mohawk sang and I scowled.

“Shit, okay,” I said as I quickly grabbed the end of my cape to rip off a piece so I could tie it over the wound in Chaos’ arm. “Well, the good news is that it’s a through and through.”

“What’s the bad news?” he asked as his face flinched in pain.

I finished tying the make shift bandage and grinned. “Who said there was bad news?” I replied smugly. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have someone to beat the shit out of.”

“Mysterion,” Chaos called out as he grabbed my wrist to stop me before I could leave. “Control your emotions.”

“Really?  You think now’s the right time to be focusing on that?” I snapped and Chaos frowned at me.  I rolled my eyes dramatically. “Alright, fine, can I go save everyone now?”

The hand released my wrist and I took a few steps back.  The hood of the car bowed under my weight as I stepped from it to the roof and then launched myself into the air with my fist pulled back.  Mohawk stopped and quickly spun around to block my hit and retaliated hard.  The blow to the side of my face made me stumble back and I wiped away the blood that formed at the corner of my mouth.

“There you are, Purple Rain!” he shouted and crossed his arms over his chest. “Boss man said you’d show up if we’d make enough noise.  Looks like he was also right about you teaming up with Boy Wonder.  Weren’t strong enough without a sidekick, Grimace?”

My hands tightened into fists at my sides.  The wounds on my knuckles stung.  I was about to move, to let my anger and adrenaline guide me, but I stopped myself.  Chaos’ words were stuck in my head.  _“Control your emotions,”_ echoed continuously on repeat.

“What?  Nothing?” Mohawk asked teasingly and then scoffed loudly. “That’s upsetting.  I was promised a good fight.  I’m thoroughly underwhelmed.”

“That won’t last for long,” I replied and felt something rise in me.  It started at my feet and coursed through my body.  When it reached my chest it sent my heart into a frenzy.  My skin tingled across my body.

“Nice to see you’re finally understanding, Kenny,” the familiar voice of my invisible doppelganger spoke inside my head.

Mohawk lunged forward towards me.  The tingling sensation disappeared and the powerful feeling that was spread throughout my body rushed to my hands.  The gang member swung at me but I quickly moved out of the way to grab his wrist and a handful of his shirt.  There was no struggle as I spun around and threw the man.  The side of the car indented when he slammed against it and his limp body flew over the hood to disappear on the other side.  I panted heavily and slowly turned my hand in front of me.  Gold energy retreated into my skin under my glove and something caught my attention in the reflection of the window of the car in front of me.  I lowered my hand and stepped closer to get a better look at my reflection.  My breath hitched in my throat and I slowly lifted my hand to press my fingertips to the corner of my right eye.  Both of them were glowing bright gold with small veins of red and orange branching from the middle.

“What the fuck?” I snapped.

“Took you long enough, moron,” the familiar voice said from behind me.  I spun around and, sure enough, the replica of me stood a few feet away with his arms crossed over his chest. “I was worried you were gonna let the world burn before you’d let up.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I snapped. “Who the hell are you?  Why do you keep showing up?”

“Kenny, you know who I am.  Stop being an idiot, hurry the hell up, and figure it out before it’s too late,” he snapped back at me with anger in his voice. “The world needs you.  Death needs you.  And you’re doing nothing but stalling.”

I wasn’t sure why, but something suddenly clicked in my head. “Wait,” I said loudly as I stepped forward. “You’re Life, right?” I said and a small, crooked grin slowly formed on his face. “You are!  Why have you been hiding?”

“Hiding?” he snapped and scoffed. “The only reason I’ve been hiding is because you’ve kept me locked away in the darkness all this time.”

“I didn’t—!” I started to shout but stopped with a sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t know, Kenny,” Life explained and uncrossed his arms. “Something happened to you, something that has kept you so unaware all these years, but you’re starting to understand.  You’re not ready though.  Not yet.”

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

All four doors of my car slammed shut and Stan’s arm wrapped around my shoulders as he stepped up beside me. “Dude!  This place is awesome!” he said loudly and shook me. “Kenny!  Aren’t you excited?”

“You’re damn right I’m excited!” I said loudly back. “Let’s go!”

Stan and I were about to move but stopped when Kyle suddenly moved around the nose of my car to stand in our way. “Hang on, both of you,” he growled and placed his hands on his hips. “What did you two promise me?”

Stan and I both simultaneously groaned. “Kyle come on,” Stan whined.

“No!  Do not whine at me.  Tell me what you promised,” the shorter red head snapped back at us.

We both turned our heads slightly to look at each other and then back at Kyle. “No jokes about your sex life,” we both said at the same time.

“Good, now actually keep your words for once, alright?” Kyle said and quickly spun around to stomp away.

“Awe, why you gotta be like that?” Stan said dramatically and quickly chased after his red headed friend.

“Is he going to be alright?” Butters asked as he joined me at my side where Stan left from.

I crossed my arms over my chest and chuckled. “He’ll be fine.  It’s not like his worry is unjustified.  Anytime Kyle brings Alex around, Stan and I ruthlessly attack him.  We’d stop, but it’s too much fun, and Alex doesn’t seem to mind at all.”

“I can’t believe I haven’t met him yet.  I’ve seen him at school a few times, but Kyle’s never introduced him,” Butters explained and I saw the noticeable frown on his face.

I laughed. “Don’t take it personal, you know that Kyle’s just quiet about his personal life.  He never really introduced Alex to Stan and me either, we kind of did that ourselves,” I explained but it didn’t make Butters stop frowning. “Hey, don’t look so upset.  It’s not the Butters we all know and love,” I said and elbowed him in the arm.

He flinched away and hissed. “Ah, hamburgers!” he snapped and grabbed at his arm.

My eyes widened and I lifted my hands up in front of me. “Sorry!  I didn’t—um—,” I started to say in a panicked voice.

“It’s alright, don’t be sorry,” Butters said as he looked up at me with a smile.

“What happened?  Are you hurt?” I asked worriedly.

“I caught my arm on something sharp in the building room at school a few days ago.  It’s nothing to worry about,” he explained and then started to make his way towards the building. “Now come on!  It’s time to have some fun.”

The building was fun heaven.  There was an arcade, a rock climbing section, a bowling alley, and an indoor mini putt course.  Everything needed to blow off some steam from a long week.  I stepped up to where Kyle, Stan, and Butters were standing at the main counter.  Stan slapped his hand down on top of a small bell and there was a small yelp from the open doorway behind the counter.  A young girl, probably not quite out of high school yet, stepped through the archway in a polo shirt with the building’s logo on the left side of the chest.

“Hi there!” she said loudly.  She was cute.  Soft features and shy with her makeup with a sparkling smile.

“Well, hi,” I said back as I leaned against the counter.  I grunted at the sharp jab to my side. “What?” I snapped as I spun my head around to face Kyle. “Kyle, I was just saying hi.”

Kyle rolled his eyes dramatically. “Kyle?” the girl said and her hands slapped down on top of the counter as she leaned far forward to get into the red head’s face.  He leaned back slightly as he blinked. “Kyle Broflovski?”

“Uh, yeah,” Kyle replied.

“You’re Al’s boyfriend, right?” the girl said loudly.  Stan and I both held back a laugh.  Butters gently bumped against me.  I turned to face him and he slowly shook his head but he was smiling.  I shrugged my shoulders.

“I—uh—,” Kyle stumbled.

“Haley!” Alex’s voice boomed and the girl tensed.  The taller boy stormed out of the back room to grab the back of her shirt to pull her back slightly. “I have told you to stop saying that.”

“How did you what I said?” the girl asked shyly but grinned.

“You’re not really the quietest,” Alex replied dryly.  The girl giggled and Alex let go of the back of her shirt as he sighed loudly. “Go take your break.”

“But I wanna talk to Kyle more,” Hayley whined loudly.

“Break.  Now,” Alex growled.  The girl groaned and dragged her feet as she left, her shoulders slumped.  Alex waited until she was gone to turn to face us. “I’m sorry,” he said mainly to Kyle.

“It’s okay,” he replied but couldn’t hide the dark blush on his cheeks. “Um, before I forget, that’s Butters,” he said as he reached in front of me to point to the blonde on my other side. “Butters, this is Alex.”

“Ah, Butters, so you’re Ken—,” Alex started to say but Kyle cleared his throat loudly as he shook his head frantically. “Oh,” Alex said confusingly as he looked from Kyle to Butters, then to me, and then back to Kyle. “Oh!  My mistake.  It’s nice to meet you Butters.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Butters replied, ignoring the obvious slipup Alex was about to make on something I wasn’t even sure about.  He was obviously going to say my name, but to what extent?

Alex smiled and then rummaged around in the counter until he came up with four wrist bands, each with our names on them. “Alright, put these on and you’ll be able to do anything free of charge.  You just need to pay for food.”

“Well, that’s a rip off,” I said and Kyle elbowed me again.

Butters laughed and Kyle leaned forward to frown at him. “Don’t encourage him with attention, Butters.”

We each put on our bracelets and headed further inside the dark building with dancing lights on the ceiling, cosmic style carpeting, and neon signs along the walls and dangling above us.  We decided to do mini putt first.  It was glow in the dark which made it super trippy and even more entertaining as neon balls travelled through courses with space and dinosaur and jungle themes.  Kyle won, I came in second, Butters in third, and Stan lost not only because he still only had one good arm but mainly because he almost took me out with his ball when he hit it too hard and it bounced off a rock.

Then we decided to go to the arcade where they had lots of old, retro games.  It was sensory overload in the small room full of small screens, neon lights, and loud sounds and music.  Kyle and Stan decided to go against each other at a shooting game.  I decided to stand and watch.  Butters disappeared to the bathroom some time before so without any real distraction, my mind was wandering.  It had been a few days since Chaos and I interrupted the showdown between the cops and the Arachne gang.  A few days since I saw my eyes glowing like Chaos’ did.  A few days since I discovered the doppelganger stalking me was Life wearing my face.  I told Chaos and it made him more eager to help me focus.  He told me I was close to connecting with Life and gaining control.  I was close to being able to take down Wrath.

“—nny?” a voice broke through my thoughts as a hand touched my arm.  I quickly turned my head to face Butters who leaned forward slightly with a small, worried smile.  His wide, worried blue eyes reminded me of the sky when there were no clouds and the sun was blazing hot. “Hey, where’d you go?”

“Pathetic.  I can’t believe you can’t see it,” Life scoffed in my head.  He had been a lot more vocal recently.  It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially after we had another argument about Kyle and Stan knowing about my alter ego and what I can do.  He raised his usual argument of how dangerous it was for them to know and I retaliated with an equally valid point: they didn’t give a shit.

_“Can’t see what?”_ I thought to myself.

“Ken?  Are you alright?  Are ya not feeling well?” Butters asked and held on to my arm but lifted his other hand to press it to my forehead.  The warmth that radiated off his palm and through my skin made my back shiver.  Breathing was suddenly difficult.  I may have actually forgotten how to breath.  Butters’ eyebrows pinched together as his lips set in a flat line. “I can’t tell,” he said and moved his hand from my arm to press it to my neck.  His palm glided over my skin so he could reach behind my neck.  The tips of his fingers pushed through my hair.  Everywhere he touched lit me on fire.

“You are so damn naïve,” Life sighed.

I cleared my throat loudly as I took a step back out of Butters’ touch.  His eyes suddenly widened as if he was realizing something and his hands quickly moved behind him. “I’m fine Butters, thanks,” I replied and shoved my hands into the pockets of my sweater.  Butters nodded quickly and spun around to face his back to me.

_“Why do I always make it so damn awkward?”_ I thought to myself as I frowned.

“Maybe because you’re an idiot,” Life replied and I rolled my eyes.  Sometimes it was like walking around with the world’s most annoying backseat driver.

We moved on to bowling once Stan kicked Kyle’s ass in shooting zombies.  Kyle was typing in everyone’s names into the machine as we all sat down.  Stan sat down next to me with a long sigh and lifted his arm to rub his shoulder.  He winched when he dug his thumb into a certain spot and let out a low groan.

“Is your arm bothering you?” I leaned forward to ask.

Stan let out a soft sigh. “A little bit,” he answered meekly.

“Did you bring your pills?” I pressed and reached up to rub my hand over his shoulder where most of his pain usually seemed to form.  Stan nodded and reached into his pocket to pull out a small pill bottle.  He fumbled with it for a second before I reached out to snatch it from him. “Come on, I’ve got it.”

Stan chuckled. “Thanks,” he said as he reached back up to keep rubbing his shoulder.

“Anything for you, sweetie,” I teased jokingly and Stan rolled his eyes.

I laughed at his response and as I turned my head I noticed the unusually dark expression on Butters’ face from where he sat on the bench across from us.  Our eyes locked for a moment before he quickly turned his head away.  His lips were set in a deep frown and his shoulders were shrugged up to his ears.  It was uncharacteristic for him to look like that.  I couldn’t help but scowl.

“I—I’ll get us some drinks,” he said and quickly pushed up from the bench to leave.

“That was weird.  Didn’t he look…upset?” Stan asked and I nodded slowly.

“Hey guys,” Alex suddenly spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable tension that hung in the air left behind by Butters’ strange behaviour. “Having fun?”

“Kicking Kyle’s ass?  You know it,” Stan replied and fist bumped Alex with his good hand.

Kyle scoffed loudly. “Kicking my ass?  You wish, Herman,” he replied over his shoulder as he continued to punch in our names.

Alex looked confused as he sat down on the bench Butters left from. “Herman?” he asked curiously.

“The guy from the Simpsons with one arm.  Kyle’s not very good at coming up with insults,” Stan explained teasingly.

“Hey, there’s no good insult that doesn’t offend every single person on the planet.  You can’t make jokes like you used to be able to anymore,” Kyle replied and finished typing in the last name.

Stan leaned forward so he could whisper to Alex. “Him?  Are you sure?”

Alex’s lips slowly stretched into a wide grin across his face.  He nodded. “I’m pretty sure,” he said back in an equally quiet whisper.

Kyle landed roughly beside Alex and they were pressed together.  Hip to hip, thigh to thigh, and one of Alex’s arms immediately laid across the back of the bench behind Kyle.  I couldn’t force back the smile that formed on my face. “What are you guys talking about?” Kyle asked curiously.

Stan shook his head.  He could have been ruthless but he and Alex had some sort of unspoken bond I believe was created because of Kyle.  Alex wasn’t a quiet kid, but he confided a lot in Stan, especially about Kyle.  Naturally, I knew everything because Stan told me, and I didn’t take it personally that Alex didn’t trust me completely to tell me everything.  What was bothering me though was what he was about to say at the counter when we first came in.

“Alex,” I spoke up and everyone turned their attention to me. “When Kyle introduced you to Butters, what were you about to say before you were interrupted?”

Kyle went noticeably tense as his eyes widened. “Uh, oh, yeah,” Alex said and chuckled lightly. “I was going to call him your boyfriend.  My mind slipped for a second and I forgot that you like him but you two aren’t dating.  Kyle says it’s complicated and that I shouldn’t talk about it.” The air fell silent as Kyle’s head dropped so his face landed in his hands.  Stan stifled back the small snorting laughter trying to escape his chest.  Alex looked confused and then realization set in.  He groaned and rubbed the space between his eyebrows. “Sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t—ugh—I’m sorry, I—.”

“It’s alright,” I said and everyone looked at me again. “I used to like Butters.  Now, it’s just physical attraction.”

Kyle scoffed loudly. “What?  You’re shitting me,” he said loudly. “Just physical attraction?  That is a bunch of bullshit.”

“Kyle—,” I started to say in a warning tone but he cut me off.

“I have seen you face to face with physical attraction.  You are calm and confident when it’s physical attraction.  You are not calm and confident around Butters.  And besides, if that was the case then you would have jumped him long ago,” he explained and crossed his arms tightly over his chest as he scowled.

“You think maybe I haven’t because he’s our friend and I don’t want to make things awkward?” I asked in retaliation.

“Kenny,” Stan said with a long sigh. “You’re immune to awkwardness.  Don’t you remember you hit on my sister?”

I sighed as I threw my head back. “Stan, look, I’m sorry that your sister got hot.  What I’m not sorry about is appreciating that,” I said and all my friends, including Alex, gave me the same look with lifted eyebrows and twisted lips. “That didn’t help my case at all, did it?”

Kyle leaned forward to pinch the bridge of his nose.  Alex’s hand on the back of the bench moved to rub Kyle’s spine.  It was such a soft and intimate touch, I could feel every bit of care even from where I sat.  I craved that touch.  Not from Alex.  I just wanted that touch.

“I don’t know why you’re in denial about your feelings towards him,” Kyle said with a small sigh.

My teeth clenched together before I opened my mouth to speak. “You know exactly why,” I growled.

Kyle’s emerald eyes found my gaze and he frowned.  He understood, probably better than anyone. “Hey fellas,” Butters said as he stopped between the ends of the two benches with bottle of water in his hands.  Everyone’s heads turned and his shoulders tensed at the sudden attention he brought on himself. “Uh, is everything alright?”

Stan cleared his throat loudly and gently nudged me.  I quickly looked away. “Everything’s fine, Butters.  We’re just waiting for you so we can get started,” Kyle spoke up.

“Oh, sorry!  I—I’m here now,” Butters said nervously and shuffled around.  Suddenly two bottles of water were being offered in front of me.  I looked up and Butters smiled at me.  Any traces of him being upset was far gone.  I carefully took the drinks and flashed a smile back.

After Stan downed his pills, we started our game.  Alex didn’t stay for long before he had to head back to work.  He was only gone for an hour though and then joined us for good having ended his shift.  The game was tight between all four of us.  Once the pain had passed, Stan quickly caught up to us.  He was a fucking whiz kid at bowling.

“So, are any of you guys gonna try the rock wall?” Alex asked as Stan stood up for his turn.

“I’m out,” he said and walked over to grab his ball from the rack.

“Me too,” Kyle said as he leaned over to rest his head against Alex’s shoulder.  I grinned again as my eyebrow lifted.  Kyle caught my expression and glowered as he subtly flipped me off.

“Kenny?” Alex asked and I quickly turned my attention to him. “How about you?” I hummed as I rocked my head back and forth. “Come on, it’s pretty fun.  The wall is made of actual rock carved out of the side of a cliff and there’s even an expert side with no bumpers.”

“I don’t know,” I said, dragging out the last word.

“I’ll race you,” Butters suddenly said from beside Kyle.

Kyle’s head quickly turned, his eyes wide. “Uh, are you sure Butters?  Kenny’s actually pretty good at…climbing,” he said and shot me a sideways glance.

“What he means to say is that it’s not exactly fair to race against someone who isn’t exactly human,” Life suddenly spoke up.

_“Don’t you have anything better to do?”_ I thought.

“No, I don’t.  I am bored out of my mind here.  The only pleasure I get is out of torturing you,” he replied with a soft chuckle.

“I’ll be okay.  There’s a harness, right?” Butters leaned forward to ask Alex who nodded. “Awesome!” he said excitedly and turned to face me again. “What do you say, Kenny?”

A very small part of me wanted to say no, but the fucking rest of me was so blinded by his smile that I couldn’t help but nod in agreement.  Sure enough, once we were finished our game of bowling, I was being harnessed up and attached to a rope that ran up into a small machine in the ceiling. “When you want to come down, just let go of the wall and the machine will do the work,” Alex explained. “Are you guys ready?”

“Ready whenever you are,” Butters said as he stepped past me to the wall.

I stood at the wall and looked up.  It was thirty feet of rock with a platform at the top. “Ten bucks on Kenny,” Kyle leaned over to say to Stan in a voice that was not at all lowered.

“I don’t know, I think Butters has this in the bag.  I say twenty bucks,” Stan retaliated and I shifted my eyes to sideways glance over at Butters who was staring up.  His eyes were darting around trying to map a path.

“Oh, you’re on,” Kyle replied and hands clapped together loudly.

“Alright, ready, set, go!” Alex shouted and Butter immediately leapt up to grab onto the wall with his hands before letting his feet find anything.  I grinned and launched myself up to start to climb.

At first it wasn’t so bad.  I made it through the first ten feet with no difficulty, and then my limbs started to feel the burn and the path wasn’t so clear to climb anymore.  The next ten feet I was so focused that I didn’t notice I had climbed closer to Butters until we were side by side.  Both of us were panting heavily.

“Doing alright there, Buttercup?” I asked with a small chuckle.

“Keeping up, ain’t I?” he replied and pulled himself up to grab onto a lip in the stone. “You’re looking pretty tired though, Ken.”

“How the hell did you learn to climb like this?” I asked and stepped up to push my body up to grab the next spot.

“I did it quite a bit in Italy actually,” he answered and I pushed myself up two more spots.

“Isn’t Italy a place where you’re just supposed to eat a whole lot and ride gondolas?” I asked and took a deep breath.

Butters laughed. “There’s more to some places than just the stereotypes we’ve been led to believe, Kenny,” he explained and reached up to his next spot. “Now stop distracting me.  I’m trying to kick your butt here.”

I chuckled. “Come and get me, Buttercup,” I said and we continued to climb.  We managed another five feet in silence.  We were both close to the top and Butters was only trailing behind me a bit.  I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as my arms and legs burned.  I was only two good steps away from reaching the top when I heard Butter slip beside me.  The loud impact of his body against the wall along with a loud snap made me quickly spin my head around.  He held on to the wall with one arm and the one that was injured was clutched to his chest. “Butters?”

“I’m—ugh—I’m okay,” he said but his arms were both shaking and tears formed at the corners of his eyes and when he shifted I could see his carabiner had been damaged and was barely hanging on.  If he tried to rappel down, it may have come apart and he’d have nothing to save him.  I couldn’t tell if he had noticed it, but I couldn’t let him put his weight on it.  I clenched my jaw and turned my head to look back up.  I pushed through the burn to make up to the top and climbed over the edge.  As soon as my feet were planted on the platform, I removed the carabiner from my harness and laid down to reach over the edge.

“Butters, I need you to jump for my hand, okay?” I said as I reached down as far as I could.

“What?  Are you kidding?” he snapped in a panicked voice.

“Butters, you need to trust me.  I’ll catch you.  I promise,” I explained in as serious of a tone as I could manage.  Butters was nervous.  He hesitated but the shaking in his limbs was getting worst. “I’ve got you,” I said in a low voice.

Butters exhaled steadily as he shifted himself.  He got his legs ready underneath him and after another long sigh, he jumped.  Our hands clapped together and I started to lift him up with every ounce of strength I had left after pulling my own weight up thirty feet.  I didn’t stop until both of us were safely on the platform.  I quickly removed the broken carabiner that fell apart in my hands and wrapped an arm around Butters’ waist to take a step back, leading him away from the edge.

“You’re alright,” I said and chuckled lightly. “That was pretty close,” I added and removed my arm from around his waist but he quickly reached his uninjured arm around me to clutch at the back of my shirt with his fingertips digging into my shoulder blade.  He was shaking.  I was sure it was a mixture of a tired body with panic.  His face buried into my chest and I felt his hot, panting breaths through my shirt.  I didn’t want to hold him.  I didn’t want him so close where he could hear my racing heart and feel my shaking.  I didn’t want him pressed against me where he could feel I was just as scared of losing him as he was of falling. “I’ve got you, Leopold,” I said in a lowered voice as I wrapped my arms around him to hold him close.  I didn’t want him in my arms, but holy fuck, did I want him.

_“The bastard is always right.”_

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

I struggled to slide on my boot as I hopped across my bedroom.  I finally managed to get my foot through and almost stumbled into the wall. “Shit,” I swore quietly under my breath and reached over to my bed to grab my cape.  I fought with the large piece of fabric and finally got it over my head to drape over my back. “Stupid, god damn—.”

“Running late?” Stan asked from the doorway and startled me.

“Holy fu—you scared the shit out of me, Stan,” I said as I spun around and pulled my hood over my head. “I decided to have a nap when I got home from work.  How the hell did I sleep for six hours?” I snapped and rushed over to the window to pull it open.  Stan moved into the room as I lifted a leg to stick it through the window.  He cleared his throat loudly and I quickly snapped my head around to see him holding onto my mask, a half smile on his face. “Ah!” I shouted and my foot caught on the windowsill as I tried to move back into the room.  I hit the floor with a loud thump and groaned loudly in pain.

“You’re a mess, dude,” Stan said and tossed my mask to me.

“Hey, at least I’m a hot mess,” I said and winked at Stan as I finger gunned.

He let out a loud sigh and slowly shook his head.  The main door to the apartment suddenly slammed shut.  Stan’s eyebrows shifted together as he spun around. “That must be Kyle.  He was supposed to be back an hour ago.  I wonder what kept him,” he said and made his way out of the room.  I finished tying my mask and stood up to turn back to the window.  I lifted my foot again but stopped when I heard shouting. “Kenny!  Get out here now!”

I made a mad dash out of the bedroom and past the kitchen to stand in the living room.  Running water came from upstairs in the bathroom.  I took the steps two at a time and quickly swung open the door.  Everything froze, including me.  I couldn’t hear anything except for my own heartbeat.  Stan took a step aside.  Kyle was sitting on the edge of the tub covered in blood and bruises.  His face was beaten badly on the one side, his eye almost swollen shut.  His shirt was cut up with small lacerations along his skin.  Stan grabbed Kyle’s shirt to help him remove it.  Without the article of clothing I could see the dark bruises that painted his skin along with the cuts.  My body tensed as my hands clenched into fists at my sides.

“What the hell happened?” I growled angrily.

Kyle looked up from the floor to look at me.  His eyes were full of tears. “We should get you to the hospital,” Stan said in a small voice to Kyle.

The red head shook his head slowly. “No, I’m fine.  It’s not the first time I’ve been beat up before,” he said with a crooked grin.

“By who, Kyle?” I snapped.

“Kenny,” Stan turned his head to snap back at me. “Calm down.”

I growled and crossed my arms tightly over my chest.  Kyle put a hand on Stan’s shoulder. “I got off the bus and turned down an alley to save time getting home.  I was jumped by three guys.  They all had weapons but didn’t use them.  And even though it was dark, I could make out something on each of them,” Kyle explained and paused to swallow noticeably. “Tattoos, on each of them.  Webs with spiders on them.” My blood boiled and Kyle continued. “Kenny, one of them had a message.  He said to tell the Vigilante of the Night that he has been properly warned.”

The connection of my fist against the bathroom door was loud and made both of my friends flinch as the wood splintered. “Son of a bitch!” I screamed and turned to storm out of the room.

“Kenny!” Stan yelled and I heard him chase after me. “Kenny, stop!”

“No!” I shouted and stopped at the bottom of the stairs to turn to look up at him. “Do you get it now, Stan?  Do you get how dangerous it is to be around me?”

“You’re not going anywhere, Kenny.  Neither are we,” Stan replied sternly.

“Take a look at your best friend, Stan!” I shouted as I pointed up towards the bathroom. “Look at what being friends with me has gotten him.  What it’s gotten you.”

“I am looking, Kenny, but we’re not going anywhere,” Stan snapped back.

I groaned loudly and threw my hands up to grab at my hood. “Enough, Stan!  Stop being so fucking stubborn!  This isn’t a game.  This isn’t—.”

“End him, Kenny,” Stan interrupted me and I looked up at him with confusion. “We’re not going anywhere, so that means you have to end this.  End Wrath.”

I felt some of the tension disappear from my shoulders.  Stan looked just as pissed as I felt.  I nodded sharply and quickly dashed around the stairs to slip through the open window into the dark night.  Chaos was exactly where we always met.  The scaffolding wrapped around the tall building where I fell to my death in front of him for the first time.  I landed hard, making the metal shake and groan underneath me.

“There you are.  I was starting to think you may have died or something,” Chaos said as he pushed himself up to his feet.  He brushed off his pants and then looked up at me.  Worry immediately scrunched up his face. “What’s wrong?”

“We are ending Wrath, tonight,” I growled angrily.

 Chaos’ eyes widened. “What?  No, that’s not possible,” he said as he shook his head frantically. “We are not ready.  Wrath will rip us apart in seconds.”

“No, he won’t,” I snapped.

“I hate to side with Death’s puppet, but he is right,” Life chimed in.

“Ugh,” I groaned and grabbed a handful of my hood. “Shut up!”

“Mysterion?” Chaos said worriedly.

“That bastard has hurt two people I care about.  It’s only a matter of time before he goes after someone else.  He needs to be put down, now,” I snapped and spun around. “It’s happening tonight, with or without your help.”

“Okay,” Chaos said and his hand grabbed my wrist to stop me.  I quickly spun around and he took a giant step back.  His hands were lifted in front of him and he made himself look smaller than he was. “I will help you, but we need to have a plan.  We can’t just attack head on, okay?  Give me that at least?” I was irritated but listened.  He was right.  I was too frenzied to think clearly, but he had a point.  I sighed heavily and nodded.  Chaos’ tense body relaxed slightly. “Okay, listen to me and we might just have a chance.”

I stood at the edge of the large rooftop and looked out at the empty lot that was still scattered with burnt rubble leftover from the factory fire we made during the first encounter with Wrath.  I could still feel the fire burning me whenever I thought about it.

“This is a terrible idea,” Life said in a low, grumbling voice.

“Are you going to help, or are you just gonna complain?” I replied sternly.

“Look, moron, I’m the only chance you have against Fate.  But I’m no use if you’re too uncontrolled because of your emotions.  You need to get your shit together if we’re going to take this guy down, _capisce_?” Life explained.

“I’ll be fine,” I growled and closed my eyes.  The wind was carrying a bitter cold that wrapped around me.  It was silent so deep in the industrial district.  Not a soul around for probably a few blocks.  I inhaled and held on to the breath before I let it release through my nose.

“Well, this is a surprise,” the familiar, bone-chilling voice carried over the wind.  I slowly opened my eyes and turned.  Wrath stood in the middle of the rooftop.  The moonlight hit him and I realized, he wasn’t wearing his mask.

My hands shook at my sides.  That smug expression I knew, I wanted to throttle it.  I must have known deep down, because there was no surprise when I saw his face. “Mr. Marco,” I said in a low voice.

“Did you really not know?” the man asked smugly.

“I guess I had a hunch,” I growled back.

The man chuckled and sighed. “Oh, Mr. McCormick, you’re amusing, I’ll give you that,” he said and took a few steps towards me. “But since you’re here and just begging me to find you with your energy all exposed like this, I’m guessing that means you got my message.”

I had to fight back the urge to tackle him.  My blood was boiling and every cell in my body was screaming at me to take him down. “You hurt my friends,” I growled.

“I needed to make sure you knew just how serious I was about all this.  How serious I am about you, Mysterion,” Marco explained and took another step. “Now you know I won’t stop.  There is no stopping.”

“I know,” I said and inhaled slowly.  My shoulders loosened from the tension. “Which is why I’ve decided to submit.”

“Oh?” Marco said suspiciously and stopped.  He was only a few steps away. “Just like that?”

“I can’t stand to see anyone else I care about get hurt,” I answered.

“You mean like your poor little sister, Karen?  What is it that you call her?  Ah yes, your little bird.” he explained and I swallowed down the lump that formed in my throat. “I’m aware your relationship with your parents are quite rocky.  Even your dear brother, Kevin, is quite astray from you, but your sister is the one piece of family that still matters, aside from Kyle and Stan.  Who else is there for me to pick at?” he drawled on and took another step. “You see, family love is beautiful.  It truly does create the strongest bond between people, but there’s another form of love that is far more powerful.  A human being who checks every box.  Family, friend, confidante, and lover.  Someone you give your entire being to.  Someone who holds your heart and soul for eternity,” he babbled on as he took another step.  One more step. “Who is it, Kenny?  I know you’ve had flings and flirts here and there, but who has a grasp on your heart so tight that if I were to break it, you would finally give in?”

“I am giving in, Marco,” I snapped.

“You’re not.  Not really,” he said with a crooked grin. “You see, you may have a different face but I know you.  I’ve known you for hundreds of years.  I know what makes you break,” he explained and took another step. “I know your greatest weaknesses.  I know more about you than you do.”

“And it looks like I may never find out,” I replied and my cape picked up with the wind as I pulled back my fist.  As I picked up momentum, I saw the bright gold energy form from my skin to cover my hand.  The blow to Marco’s face made him curl over.  I took a step back so my heel was over the edge of the rooftop and started to tilt back as Marco lifted his head in time to see me lift my middle finger at him.  My body gave in to the freefall and a large bolt of electricity passed over me to strike Marco in the chest.  I landed hard and stood to run for the large pieces of rubble that were scattered across the large lot.  I was grabbed by the hand I was waiting for and quickly spun around.  I didn’t stop until my hands slammed against the concrete that was once a wall.  I panted heavily.  Chaos had his back pressed to the broken wall with my hands placed at the sides of his head.

“Nice punch,” he spoke up and I cleared my throat loudly.

“Thanks,” I replied and took a step back but Chaos grabbed the front of my cape to pull me towards him.  Bodies pressed together and my heart tried to break through my chest.  Chaos’ hands quickly reached up to grab the edges of my hood and pulled it further forward.

“Mysterion, control.  He’ll know where you are if you let your energy go and he’ll definitely see your eyes if you let them glow,” he explained.

“It’s not as if I know exactly when my eyes are glowing,” I replied in a hushed voice.

“Well, they’re glowing right now, which means you’re letting your anger go.  You need to calm down,” he snapped back.

“I—I don’t know how.  I’m not angry, not right now, so obviously  I don’t have any fucking clue how to stop it,” I growled back in equal frustration to his.

Chaos turned his head to look over his shoulder and around the corner. “You need to shut off your brain.  Stop thinking about everything else.  Stop thinking about what happened to your friends.  Stop thinking about everything,” he said and turned his head back to face me. “Focus on me.”

“I can’t just—ugh!” I groaned in frustration and lifted my hands to rub my head through my hood. “You make it sound so damn easy.  I don’t—.”

“Mysterion,” Chaos said in a soft voice and I felt his hands on my cheeks.  I opened my eyes and he was leaning towards me.  My heart raced in my chest.  The warmth on my cheeks sunk into my flesh, lighting them on fire.  He was so close.  His breath ghosted over my skin and left tiny sparks of electricity in its wake.  I didn’t know when he was going to stop and to be honest, I don’t think I wanted him to.  My body was screaming for the contact while my mind told me to run.  Then there was no more space between us.

Soft, warm lips pressed to mine.  My eyes widened at first as his fluttered closed.  Instead of revving up like I expected, everything in me dropped.  I felt everything rush out of my body in a wave to where our lips connected, making us both one.  My eyes were closed and my hands that were on my head dropped to rest on slightly rounded hips.  My hands twitched where they were and Chaos tilted his head slightly.  The new angle deepened our kiss as my fingers dug into his hips and I think— _did he just fucking moan?_

My mind was flooded with a thick haze of thoughts.  I was getting signals from every direction.  Signals to run.  Signals to push him away.  Signals to hold him closer.  Signals to take the lead.  Signals that everything about this was wrong, and yet it was like puzzle pieces snapping perfectly together.  I let the thoughts go on for too long.  The hands left my cheeks, the warmth leaving with them, and the kiss disconnected.  Chaos grabbed on to my hood again.  My eyes snapped open and his eyes moved back and forth across my face.

“Good, feel better now?” he asked as if nothing had just happened.  Just two guys standing in the middle of some rubble from a burned down building and talking.  Nothing else going on. “Mysterion?”

“Uh—um—yeah, yeah I’m fine,” I replied.

Chaos smiled. “Good, because this is the part of the plan where we improvise,” he said and then turned to disappear around some rubble.  I blinked a few times.  I was staring at the wall in front of me.

“How do you still not get it?” Life snapped.

“Get what?  What the hell are you talking about?” I growled back.

I heard some noise from the other side of the wall and slowly leaned to the side to see a piece of what used to be flooring dislodge itself from the ground to float up towards the building.  Marco stepped off the rooftop to ride the piece of the building down to the ground. “I have got to say boys, that was a dirty little trick,” he explained as he stepped into the graveyard of what was left of the building he destroyed. “I can’t kill you, Mysterion, you’ll only come back.  But I can kill your partner.”

“You can’t let him kill Death,” Life explained and I ducked back around the wall.

“I think that is by far the most ironic sentence I’ve ever heard anyone say before,” I replied in a low voice.

“Focus, moron!  He doesn’t know it, but we need Death.  To stop all this, we need him to stay alive,” Life explained bitterly.

“Well, that’s great, except I have no idea where he ran off to,” I snapped.

“Kenny, listen to me.  You and Death have a deep, ancient connection.  It’s something that does not come from practice.  It’s something you both have had since the beginning of time.  You were created with that connection,” he explained, his voice having calmed slightly.

“Okay, but I’m struggling to control myself, let alone try and figure out some secret, ancient connection I know nothing about,” I replied and turned my head as the metal of the large machine beside me began to rattle.

“This is why you need to know,” he replied with a loud frustration groan.

“Need to know what?” I snapped back between clenched teeth.

“Who Death is.  What Chaos’ real identity is!” he shouted back.

My eyes widened and I pressed my lips together.  I was trying to come up with some response but I couldn’t think of one before I heard the crackling of electricity and impact.  I quickly looked back around the corner of the wall.  Chaos stood between two large pieces of rubble with a continuous stream of electricity shooting from his hand to impact the shield of energy Marco was creating. “We’ll worry about that later,” I said and dashed around the wall to race towards Marco.  It was my opening.  I just needed to get close enough to hit him, but he shifted and the shield deflected Chaos’ electricity so it struck me.

Pain unlike anything I had felt before coursed through my body.  I had been electrocuted before, mostly by Chaos himself, but this one was a thousand times worst than anything else.  I felt it hit every part of my body as I collapsed to the ground.

“Mysterion!” Chaos screamed above the ringing in my ears.

“I wonder, have you told him yet, Death?” Marco asked. “Have you told him your great secret?”

My limbs shook as I pushed myself up to my hands and knees.  My body ached but I couldn’t let it stop me.  I had to get up.  I had to fight back.

“Enough, Wrath!” Chaos snapped back.

“Life can’t die.  The vessel just continues to come back every morning.  But there’s one thing in this world that can kill Life, isn’t there?” Marco continued to talk.

I struggled onto my feet but managed. “Kenny, you must control yourself,” Life spoke up.

“Don’t you wish to know your weaknesses, Mysterion?  What will break your spirit and what will break your body?” Marco asked loudly.

“Kenny, I—I can feel it.  You’re—,” Life began to say.

“Enough!” I screamed and suddenly felt the explosion of energy through my body to rush to my arms.  It shot from the backs of my arms to create what looked like flames, but there was no heat.  I quickly spun around and Marco’s eyes were wide and unblinking. “I promised to end this tonight, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

“Fuck yeah!  Let’s do this kid!” Life shouted with loud laughter.

The energy that shot from my arms pushed me forward as I jumped from where I was.  I clasped my hands together and raised them above my head to bring them down on top of Marco.  I impacted with his force field and the energy pushed down against it.  Electricity crackled and snapped and Marco was struck from the side by the large bolt.  The force knocked him aside and I slammed against the ground, cracking the Earth.  I stood and turned to face Marco.  He was chuckling unevenly as he held on to his side.  Chaos’ electricity burned a hole through his clothing and into his flesh.

“Looks like we’ve finally stopped playing and have moved on to the real event,” he said and his eyes turned completely black along with his hands.

I slid my foot back to lunge forward and sprint towards him. “Kenny!  Stop!” Life shouted.

“Mysterion!” Chaos screamed.

I swung my fist but something stopped me and I felt my body lift from the ground.  Everything except for Marco floated above the ground and then silence.  There was nothing.  Not even white noise.  Just nothing. “Do not continue to test my patience, Mysterion,” Marco said and then a loud, deafening boom like what you would hear from an explosion hit me.  I was sent flying back as everything around exploded and flew.

I wasn’t sure how much time passed of me falling in and out of consciousness as the loud ringing slowly faded.  When it was gone, I slowly pushed myself to sit up.  I groaned as I rubbed my head and looked around.  The rubble was a chaotic mess of smaller pieces.  Even the buildings surrounding the area were affected with shattered windows and some cracked walls.  The lamppost nearby was bent in half and its light was flickering.  I continued to turn my head and finally spotted Chaos a few feet away.  He was kneeling with his back to me.  I painfully pushed myself onto my hands and knees to crawl towards him a few feet.  I wasn’t going to stand anytime soon.

“Chaos?” I called out and saw his body tense. “Chaos, are you alright?” I asked and pressed my hand to my head. “Fuck, what the hell was that?  It was intense.” Chaos started to shift in front of me.

“Kenny,” Life spoke gently.  Chaos was turning and I ran my hand over my face to rub my eyes.

“I didn’t know he could do that,” I explained with a small chuckle.

“Kenny, please, remain calm,” Life added.

“Ugh, what are you talking about?” I responded to the voice in my head and dropped my hand. “Why wouldn’t I—?”

I froze.  Chaos was turned but what I hadn’t realized was what he was missing.  The blast must have knocked off his helmet and mask because I could see his full face in the light from the flickering lamppost.  My eyes went directly to what the mask had been hiding.  A long scar on the inside of his left eye that ran from his eyebrow to his cheek.  A scar I made.  A scar I spent years feeling sorry about.  A scar that revealed absolutely everything and the world seemed to crash down around me in that moment.

“It can’t be,” I said in a low voice, but of course it was.  It was him.  Everything I had missed over the months flooded to me.  Every feeling I had, every thought I pushed aside, they were all gone.  He pushed himself up to his feet and winced.  His arm wrapped around his stomach but he pushed through whatever pain he was feeling to step. “Wait!” I called out and pushed myself up on my own wobbly legs.

“Forget what you saw, Mysterion,” he growled.

“I can’t,” I replied.

“Forget, Mysterion!” he shouted and took another step.

“Butters, stop!” I screamed and he almost fell over.  I lost my Mysterion voice.  There was no forced deep husk to hide my real voice in that moment.  His entire body was shaking violently but he managed to turn to face me.  I reached up to grab a hold of my mask and pulled it off as I pushed back my hood with my other hand. “Butters, it’s me.”

He was breathing unevenly as he continued to clutch on to his stomach. “Kenny,” he said in a low voice and I heard so much pain in that one word. “I’m so sorry, Kenny.”


	10. Electricity & Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's nothing to say except...
> 
>  
> 
> ...how did I not see it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> I want to thank EVERYONE who has been so supportive of Soulmates! You guys are all the best and make me so damn happy every single time I see a comment or kudos! You are all the absolute best!!
> 
> I also want to apologize for dragging this story out but I wanted to make sure it wasn't rushed. I know there hasn't been a whole lot of Bunny moments but don't you worry, they are coming. Trust me, it's going to be all worth it!
> 
> Enjoy lovelies!
> 
> (WARNING! We have officially arrived to the Bunny so please be advised of some inappropriate content from here on out!)

**Butters**

_The force of Wrath’s energy that slammed against me made my head spin.  I felt like I had just stepped off one of those rides where you sit in a giant strawberry and spin around as the whole platform moves.  It was so dark, I didn’t see him, but he knew I was there.  I had never felt anything like it before when his energy slammed into me._

_“This is merely the beginning of our story, Death,” Wrath said from the darkness.  The streets of England were so much darker than I had expected.  Even South Park seemed to have more lights at night. “The real fun is yet to happen back home where our friend is waiting for us.  I’ll see you there soon enough.”_

_I was so confused.  Who was the man?  How did he know about Death?  What the hell did he hit me with? “Leopold,” Death whispered. “Leopold, you can get up now.  He’s gone.”_

_“Who the hell was that?” I groaned as I pushed up to my knees. “He was so powerful.”_

_“He is the current vessel for Fate.  I felt his presence.  I don’t believe he saw your face,” Death explained._

_I removed the cloth from the lower part of my face.  It was a random bandana I found hanging from the side of a building as I ran through the narrow streets being pursued by the heavy presence behind me. “I’m guessing he’s not a good guy,” I mentioned and pressed my back against the box beside me.  The pyramid of boxes had been toppled over during the altercation between me and Wrath and now littered the narrow alley._

_“No, he is not.  He is far from it.  And there is a good possibility he knows where Life is,” the voice continued._

_“And that’s bad, right?” I asked._

_“Considering that Fate has made it its mission to corrupt Life in any way possible, yes, that’s bad.  I still can’t feel Life’s presence at all, which means there is something wrong.” Death had a worried tone that made me frown. “Leopold, you must go back home.  Immediately.”_

_I blinked.  My hands instinctively moved together to rub my knuckles together. “I—I don’t know—um—,” I stuttered nervously._

_“I know you are worried, but this is bigger than your worries.  This is bigger than your lies and secrets,” Death said, a slight snap to his tone. “The last time we all were awake the world was thrown into the largest war it had ever seen and Fate was in the center of the conflict.”_

_I sighed heavily. “Oh, I know,” I groaned._

_“He will do as much damage as he wants unless we can reach Life first,” Death snapped.  I let my head fall back against the boxes with another heavy sigh._

_“Ah, fudge,” I said in a low voice.  I tilted my head back to look up.  The stars were bright against the dark canvas of sky._

_I set the last box down inside the apartment.  There wasn’t much to move from South Park.  My laptop sat on the table playing the local news as I started to unpack the first box.  The reporter’s voice was background noise to me while I set the knickknacks along the shelf that was bolted to the wall._

_“Our next story involves a local hero who has single-handedly made a difference in the city of Denver,” the reporter explained. “A real-life vigilante of the night.  Denver’s very own superhero.”_

_“Leopold!” Death suddenly shouted.  He startled me.  The ceramic knickknack I was holding crashed against the floor._

_“Oh, hamburgers!” I said disappointingly._

_“Leopold, the news,” Death snapped._

_“There’s not much we know about the mystery vigilante,” the reporter continued.  I walked over to the table to spin my laptop around.  In the top corner of the screen, next to the blonde reporter’s head, was a picture.  It was focused but far away and dark.  I could still make out the figure leaping from one rooftop to the next.  A long, dark cape flowed behind them in their mid-flight. “We do know that they are responsible for saving nearly a dozen lives from the terror and violence of crime that fills our streets.”_

_“Oh, man,” I said in a small voice as I slowly sat down._

_“Leopold,” Death responded in a smaller voice than mine._

_“Here with me is Sergeant Hank Young and Officer Patricia Remis,” the reporter introduced the two officers that were suddenly shown as the camera angle changed. “Officers, welcome and thank you for joining me today for our discussion.”_

_“Leopold,” Death repeated a bit louder._

_“Tell me, how is this new figure affecting the police department?” the reporter asked._

_“It’s Life, Leopold,” Death said._

_My back straightened. “What?” I asked curiously. “Are you sure?”_

_“No, but there’s a feeling.  You must confront him.  Get close enough so that I can read him,” Death explained._

_“How exactly do you plan on me doing that?  He’s a masked vigilante jumping around in the dark beating up bad guys,” I replied as I sat back in my chair._

_“Play his game,” Death answered bluntly. “Show him what you are capable of and we’ll see how he reacts.”_

_When Mysterion’s knuckles caved in the solid metal dumpster, my heart sunk in my chest.  I had pushed too hard and it was getting dangerous.  I had to get out. “Well, there’s a piece of the puzzle discovered,” I said.  I tried to hide the shake my voice threatened to make._

_Everything else was shaking.  I crossed my arms over my chest to still them. “Leopold, there’s something wrong.  There’s an energy radiating off him, but it’s not his.  It’s familiar, but it’s not his,” Death explained._

_“I think that’s enough for tonight,” I explained._

_Mysterion had anger plastered across his face. “Enough of this game, Chaos!  Stop this!” he shouted angrily._

_“Who said this was a game, Mysterion?  This is all very much real,” I explained feeling Death guide my words.  He knew I needed the help.  I was too distracted. “Keep your eyes open, Mysterion.  It will all make sense eventually.”_

_I started to turn away.  I had to get away. “Chaos!” I heard him scream.  A hand grabbed my wrist.  The sharp shock that coursed through my body made the familiar electricity of my energy intensify.  It always felt like a ball settled in the middle of my chest.  When I wanted to use it, I imagined it working through my arm to shoot from my fingertips.  It wasn’t easy to control, but Death helped.  But when Mysterion touched me there was a transfer of foreign energy that sent my energy into a frenzy.  We couldn’t control it.  Mysterion reeled back with a groan.  I took the opportunity to bail.  I had to get away._

_It took me all night to calm down but I still couldn’t get my energy under control.  It took everything in me to keep myself from spazzing out when I wasn’t Professor Chaos.  Death and I had an understanding that when I wasn’t wearing the costume, I could be Butters.  When I put on the costume, he was free to do what he needed to.  That day I was walking around with a nagging backseat driver who was fighting me.  I didn’t want to go out that night, but he insisted._

_“This is a terrible idea,” I snapped on top of the scaffolding. “We shouldn’t be out here.  We’re too unstable.”_

_“We need to find Life.  We have no time to delay,” Death replied._

_“This is dangerous.  We have no control and you know just as much as I do how dangerous it will be to be around him,” I snapped back. “We need to stay away from him.”_

_“Leopold, listen to me,” Death growled._

_“No!  You’ve been bossing me around all day!  You’ve been pushy and rude and I’ve had enough!” I shouted.  I could feel the electricity sparking inside my chest.  Small bolts sparked from my skin to pass between my fingers._

_“You cannot lose control!” Death shouted.  I felt like I was suddenly pushed back into a corner and pinned there by a heavy force against my chest. “Not now, idiot.” He had gained control.  He rarely ever gained full control unless it was necessary or if I allowed him to.  “Get yourself under control.”_

_“Chaos,” Mysterion’s voice snapped.  Death quickly spun us around.  The look on Mysterion’s face was full of anger.  He took a small step back as his expression shifted._

_I gained control long enough to snap, “You shouldn’t be here, Mysterion.”_

_“You’re right.  I’m terrified of heights,” he explained flatly._

_“Don’t be an idiot!” I screamed but I couldn’t get past the barrier Death put up._

_“Tell me what the hell you did to me last time,” Mysterion demanded._

_Death let out a rumbling laugh. “What I did to you?  Oh, no, I didn’t do anything.  That was all you,” he snapped.  He lifted our hand to point at Mysterion. “That energy clung to you!  You let it—!” The pulse of electricity that shot through my body made us both flinch.  Sparks exploded from my fingers but we pulled them back into our skin._

_“Chaos—,” Mysterion started to say.  He was moving towards us._

_“Don’t!” Death screamed.  He was fighting the out of control energy. “Just—ugh—just leave, Mysterion.”_

_“Now you want him to leave?” I snapped._

_“Not until you tell me what the hell is going on,” Mysterion growled in response. “Tell me, Chaos!”_

_“We have to tell him,” Death said only to me. “We have delayed this for far too long.”_

_“No!” I screamed.  I had managed to push forward, gaining control once again. “He’s not—,” I started to say but stopped myself when I noticed the wide, unblinking eyes Mysterion was staring at me with. “You’re not ready.”_

_“Leopold!” Death shouted._

_“Not ready for what?” Mysterion snapped.  I squeezed my eyes shut as I shook my head rapidly.  I heard the footsteps stomp towards me. “Enough!  Just—,” he demanded.  I quickly opened my eyes when the hand grabbed my arm.  My energy revved up in my chest.  I knew immediately, there was no stopping it.  My eyes widened.  The explosion of electricity and energy was uncontrollable from my body.  It disoriented me for a moment and when I caught my bearings, the metal railing was broken and Mysterion was gone.  He was dangling over the edge._

_Death was gone temporarily.  The surge of energy more than likely had knocked him unconscious, if that was possible.  When he came back, I silenced him.  I silenced everything around me.  Mysterion was dead.  I screwed up and there was no way to fix it.  Which is why I don’t know why I put on the mask.  Why I left that night in hopes that it was all a dream.  But it wasn’t a dream.  Mysterion was dead…at least, that’s what I thought._

_“You died,” I said breathlessly. “This can’t be real,” I thought._

_“It is real, Leopold,” Death answered._

_“You remember,” Mysterion said in a lowered tone, his eyes were wide under his hood._

_“How?” I thought._

_“The curse of Life.  It is the curse of immortality,” Death explained. “He cannot die.  Nothing can kill him, except for one thing in this entire world.”_

_“What?” I thought back. “What can kill him?”_

_I was panting heavily as I raced across the rooftops.  My boots clunked against the metal underneath me. “You have to hurry,” Death growled._

_“I’m going as fast as I can,” I responded through heavy breaths.  The energy was heavy and familiar.  It wasn’t Mysterion’s, but I knew exactly who it belonged to.  I managed to get to the roof by climbing some crates and boxes.  There he was.  He had Mysterion pinned against a wall with his telekinetic abilities. “Dr. Wrath!” I screamed._

_I shouldn’t have been there.  Mysterion told me to stay away.  I knew I should have stayed away.  I couldn’t though.  I didn’t know why, but I felt a pull.  It was a pull directly to him._

_“We can’t let Fate consume him,” Death snapped._

_“Than save him,” I growled back._

_I sighed, leaned back slightly on my stool, and ruffled my hair.  I needed to stretch out the kink that was forming in my back from sitting arched over my canvas for so long.  The rough outline was pretty much done. “You’re getting much better, Leopold.”_

_“Did Death just compliment my art skills?” I asked with a small smile. “I’m flattered.”_

_“Do not sound so surprised.  I know how to appreciate good art.  You are no Michelangelo but you could be someday,” Death explained._

_I chuckled but realization quickly set in.  My smile disappeared. “Wait, did you know Michelangelo?” I asked._

_“In fact, I did.  He was a friend of one of Life’s vessels.  He was an extraordinary man,” Death explained._

_I scoffed. “Well, I’m learning something knew about you every day.  I wonder who else you—,” I said but stopped when I heard a sharp ringing in my ears.  I quickly lifted my hand to press it to my head._

_“Come on, Chaos,” Mysterion’s voice echoed through my head. “I can’t wait around for you to decide when to show yourself.”_

_I lowered my hand to turn my head.  The large window looked out over the city.  The lights gave off a glow that made a high arch over the buildings.  I could feel the faint touch of Mysterion’s energy flick across my skin. “What is he doing?” Death growled._

_“He’s calling out to me,” I whispered back and couldn’t hold back the smile that formed from the corners of my lips._

_That’s what it was with us.  Everything that possibly could connect us, did.  We were constantly being pushed and pulled back and forth to and from each other.  It felt as if I knew him.  I knew every single aspect of his being, and yet I knew nothing at all.  Then everything changed.  I knew we shouldn’t have confronted Wrath.  I knew we weren’t ready, but he was insistent.  He was angry.  He was frantic.  I couldn’t say no.  If I had known what was going to happen, I would have.  I would have fought and yelled._

_“Butters, stop!”_

_I wished it had been anyone else but him._

_“Butters, it’s me.”_

_But, of course it was him.  It had to be him.  It was always…him._

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

**_Kenny_ **

My eyes were heavy but I couldn’t shut them without seeing his face.  Stan looked just as tired as I was, but for his own reason.  He had stayed by Kyle’s side since I left.  He said Kyle was quiet, his gaze distant like he was constantly being pulled back by some thoughts in his mind.  Stan feared leaving him alone, even when he was asleep.  Then when I came home, everything came pouring out of me before I even had my costume off.  I managed my boots, my gloves, and my mask, but that was it.  We left Kyle to sleep in my room and sat at the dining table.  My hands were folded together in front of me as Stan walked over to place coffee in front of me.  He managed to carry two mugs with one hand, which would have been impressive enough to make me comment at any other point in time.  The bitter aroma alone was enough to wake me up.

“Drink it,” Stan said bitterly and sipped at his coffee.  It was the first thing he had said in minutes.  I didn’t fight him.  I was too tired.  I was too lost.  I was too confused.  I picked up the mug and sipped at the bitter liquid.  It made my stomach churn.  Anything would have made it churn upon impact.  It was in so many knots, I was pretty sure there was barely any stomach left. “Butters is Professor Chaos,” Stan said in a low voice.  It wasn’t a question.  It wasn’t for me to verify.  It was him trying to process it through his head.  The moment the words passed through my lips, I could see the panic and confusion form on his face. “Why—Why is it not surprising?  Why does it feel like it’s just solidifying something deep inside?”

I slammed the mug of coffee down on the table and stood.  The sudden movement sent my chair scraping back against the floor. “It’s ridiculous,” I snapped angrily. “How could he not tell us?  Not even one of us?  Did he not trust us?” I continued letting my anger drive my words.

“Kenny, you know that’s not fair.  None of us told him about you,” Stan retaliated calmly.

“He kept it from us, Stan!  What—What else is he keeping from us?  What—?” I started to say and pressed my hand against my head.  I was still dizzy from the blow my head received from Marco.  I grabbed the back of the couch to steady myself.  Stan’s chair scraped gently as he stood.  I shot my hand out towards him. “Don’t,” I growled. “I’m fine.”

“Kenny—,” Stan tried to speak.

“He’s been keeping so many secrets.  He even lied about when he came back.  Chaos showed up months before Butters said he came back.  He lied to my face.  To all our faces,” I explained and turned to lean back against the back of the couch. “What else did he lie about?”

Stan sighed loudly and sat back down.  He lifted his hand to run his fingers through his hair. “Kenny, say what it is that you want to say,” he said but there was a warning tone to his voice, like he was daring me to say something wrong.

“Everything was fine before he left.  He has yet to explain why he left in the first place.  Was it because he knew about what he was before he left?” I asked in a low growl and Stan’s eyebrows slowly furrowed together. “He knew from the fucking start and he didn’t trust us enough to tell us.  He’s been lying to our faces.  He’s—,” I trailed off and stopped completely when Stan smacked his hand against the table.

“Alright, enough,” he snapped in anger.  I looked over at him with wide, unblinking eyes. “He didn’t know.  That’s not the reason why he left,” he explained and my lips set in a deep frown. “He didn’t lie to anyone, but he has a right to his own secrets, you selfish son of a bitch,” Stan growled.  The sudden outburst startled even him.  He swallowed hard and lifted his hand to press his fingers to his temple with a long sigh. “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I’ve had enough of your whining,” he said in a low voice.  His hand dropped gently against the table. “Butters was sick, Kenny.”

My face scrunched up into confusion. “What?”

“He was sick.  Like, he wasn’t going to make it through university, sick,” Stan explained.  I felt my heart beat painfully fast in my chest.  I opened my mouth to say something.  Nothing came out. “He was going to die.”

“What do you mean, die?  How—How do you know this?” I struggled to ask through my shaking voice.

Stan sighed loudly. “Because I’m a nosey bastard.  I listened in on one of his phone calls and heard the entire thing,” he explained.  There was a hint of regret in his voice, like it was one of the worst things he could have possibly done.

“When was this?  How long have you known?” I asked next.

Stan’s shoulders tensed suddenly.  Whatever the answer was going to be, I wasn’t going to like it. “Since before the graduation party,” he answered in a low voice.

Naturally, I should have been mad, but I felt like there wasn’t anything left in me.  I couldn’t even be angry.  I couldn’t feel anything, except my heart racing in my chest. “You knew for that long and didn’t tell me?”

“I promised Butters I wouldn’t,” Stan explained.  The seriousness returned to his voice. “He wanted to talk to everyone before he left.  He planned on it at the party.  He didn’t tell everyone what was wrong, but he was going to tell you.  You left though, remember?” Stan paused and I grinded my teeth together. “You were so distraught by Butters leaving and you drank too much.  You ran out when Kyle was trying to get you to go see him.  He was going to talk to you, to tell you what was happening, but when you ran out he thought you were mad at him.  He thought that meant you didn’t want to see him.”

“That—That’s not—,” I started to say.  My head spun again.  My brain was doing backflips in my skull.

“He didn’t know that.  We didn’t either at the time.  It wasn’t until after the party when he was on the other side of the world that you said anything about how you felt.  I thought about telling you, but it wouldn’t have made a difference.  If anything, it would have destroyed you.  So, I kept Butters’ secret and waited for him to tell you when he came back, but he was too scared.  He couldn’t get over the fact that he thought you were mad at him and I wasn’t about to tell him how you felt about him, especially when you kept walking around like a moron saying you no longer liked him.” The room spun violently.  I couldn’t keep my legs underneath me anymore so I slumped to the floor with a heavy thump.  Laughter exploded from my chest. “Kenny!” Stan shouted.  He was back on his feet to run around the table. “Are you alright?” he asked as he knelt next to me.

I was still laughing.  My hands pressed to my face to hide the build up of tears in my eyes.  My body shook.  Everything hurt.  Every inch of my body.  Every part of my soul.  My head, my heart.  Fucking everything hurt.  Stan let out a soft sigh.  I felt his arm wrap around me to hold on tight.  It only made the tears form faster. “Come on,” Stan whispered.  He was helping me up to my feet to lead me up the stairs to the bathroom.  He sat on the vanity as I stood under the warm water to let it roll down my skin.  It didn’t fix the pain, but it did help, and it washed away the tears that made my eyes sting even more than they did before when I was just tired.

“You need to talk to him, Kenny,” Stan piped up over the running water. “Not just about him leaving, and not about him being Professor Chaos.  You need to tell him.”

The cold tile wall felt good against my forehead.  I closed my eyes.  I wanted to sleep. “Can I sleep first?” I asked in a low voice.

“Of course,” Stan replied in a small voice that I could still hear over the running water.

I crawled into my bed next to Kyle.  He was sound asleep.  I wasn’t far behind him.  Stan may have stayed, I wasn’t sure.  Sleep claimed me too quickly to notice.  Darkness took over and then I was suddenly standing in a thick forest.  Different shades of green leaves surrounded me.  I quickly spun around but it was just trees.  There was no distinction of where or which way to go.  Even when I looked up, the canopy of branches and leaves blocked the view of the sky.  Then the wind suddenly whipped through the trees to slam against me.  It almost knocked me over.  I stood my ground though.  The salty scent of water travelled on the wind’s back.  I started to run through the trees, following the scent ahead of me.  I didn’t know where it would take me.  I didn’t know what lied ahead, but it was something.  Something other than trees.  I ran and ran.  The trees began to thin and then there were no more.  I stopped, my chest heaving with heavy breaths.  The sound of crashing waves echoed up over the edge of the cliff ahead of me.  Standing at the edge of the cliff was a figure with bright yellow hair.  He lifted his arms at his sides as he tilted forward slightly like a bird ready to take flight.  I opened my mouth and two names exploded from my mouth at once, overlapping each other with one slightly deeper.

“Butters!” was the first.

“Chaos!” was the second.

He stopped.  His arms lowered.  He slowly turned.  His face flashed between Butters with his bright blue eyes and Chaos with glowing violet and his half mask.  His mouth moved as if he was speaking but I couldn’t hear it over the crashing waves before I was suddenly snapped out of my dream.

I woke with a sharp inhale.  I was alone in the large bed.  Soft voices spoke from outside my door cracked open slightly.  I slowly sat up to reach over to my phone.  It was just past noon.  I had slept for a few hours but I was still exhausted.  I think I would forever be permanently exhausted.  I sighed as I pushed my fingers through my hair.  I hadn’t had that dream in so long, and it never ended like that.  It always ended the same way with him falling off the cliff, but he didn’t that time.  Instead, I called out for him.

**_You have started a private chat with LBS._ **

**K²:** we need 2 talk  
**K²:** im coming by in a bit

My door creaked open, giving away my presence which made the voices hush.  I had changed into clean clothes before I stepped out.  Stan and Kyle were sitting in the living room.  The television was on low like they had it on for background noise more than anything.  Stan didn’t look up from his hands in his lap.  Kyle stood.  He quickly rushed over to me and his arms wrapped around me tightly.  Not what I was expecting.

“You alright?” he asked, his voice muffled by my chest.

I scoffed lightly. “I’m supposed to be asking you that,” I replied as I gently patted his shoulders.

He pulled away to look up at me.  The swelling had gone down a bit in his face, but he was still bruised.  It looked bad on his pale skin.  I kept my hands on his shoulders to let my fingers dig in slightly to his flesh.  The frown that formed on my face made Kyle sigh. “Stop it,” he growled.

“Stop what?” I asked with a small shrug of my shoulders.

“Beating yourself up,” he answered. “I can see the pity and self-shame rolling around in your head.  It’s not your fault.  Not by a fucking long shot.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “But what you’ve said about Butters, that’s another story.”

“Kyle—,” I started.  He lifted his hand to stop me.

“You need to go talk to him,” he explained.  I exhaled sharply as I nodded. “Once you have talked to him, then you can talk to us.”

_Stubborn.  How fucking predictable._

My leg bounced rapidly as I drove.  It wasn’t a far drive, but it was far enough that it seemed to drag on with my frenzied thoughts running wild in my mind. “I told you to stay calm,” Life suddenly piped up in a quieted voice as I sat at a red light.

My hand tightened on the wheel. “You knew it was him, didn’t you?” I asked and turned my head to see him sitting in the back seat.  His arms were crossed over his chest and he had the hood of his orange sweater pulled over his head.

“I’m honestly surprised you didn’t.  The mask wasn’t really doing a whole lot,” he explained and shrugged his shoulders. “Like, I don’t want to say you’re an idiot, but it’s kind of sad that you couldn’t tell you were literally crushing on the same guy just with two different personas.”

“Shut up.  Who the hell asked you,” I mumbled as I scowled.  The light turned green.

“I’m just saying, you were either extremely blind or incredibly stubborn,” he added.

“Can you just shut up and go away?” I asked.

He scoffed loudly. “I wish, buddy.  Unfortunately, we are stuck with each other.  At least you’re more entertaining than the last vessel.  She was a bore,” he groaned as he sunk deeper into the seat. “I’m still not sure what he saw in her.  That was the roughest pairing, but the connection always pulls them together,” Life continued to speak.  I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or if he was just talking.  His head tilted back to look up through the back window. “You can’t fight the connection.  Tethered together from birth.  There’s no stopping it.”

My eyebrows furrowed together.  I stopped the car in the parking spot next to the sidewalk.  The engine rested when I turned the key.  I turned in my seat but Life didn’t stop craning his neck far back to see up at the sky. “What the hell are you talking about?” I asked.

“You’ll see,” he said.  I blinked a few times.  He disappeared suddenly as if he had never been sitting on the bench seat in the back of my car.  More than likely, he was never sitting in my car and it was just all in my head.  I still wasn’t entirely sure how it worked with him.  I slammed the car door shut as I pulled my phone from my pocket to look at the unread messages sent to Butters.  I sighed loudly, shoved my phone back into my pocket, and moved around the car to step up to the call box attached to the building.  I exhaled sharply and then jammed my finger against the button for the third floor.  There was a long break of silence but no response.

“Maybe he’s not home,” I muttered quietly.

“He’s home.  I can feel Death up there,” Life explained.

I jammed my finger against the button again and waited.  No response.  My foot tapped impatiently against the concrete. “Come on, Butters,” I whispered. “Don’t ignore me.  Please,” I added.  The anxiety made my heart race constricted my throat.  I tried to swallow down the bundle of nerves with no success.

“So, what now?” Life asked.

I sighed as I ran my hand through my hair. “I can’t leave.  I need to talk to him.  I need to understand.  I’ve waited long enough.”

“We could climb the fire escape,” he sang.

I shook my head. “During the day?  No way.  I’m not risking getting caught,” I replied and took a step back to shove my hands into the pockets of my sweater. “There’s got to be a way to reach him.”

“Hello?” a sweet, light voice suddenly said from behind me.  I quickly spun around to come face-to-face with the silver haired woman.  Wrinkles were formed at the corners of her mouth and eyes and she was slightly hunched over with a cane decorated in Sharpie doodles. “Can I help you, young man?”

“Oh, sorry, I was just—,” I started to explain but stopped myself.  _Planning how to break in?_

“Do you live here?  Are you new to the building?” the woman asked curiously.

I shook my head. “No, I’m here to see a friend, actually.  He’s not answering his buzzer though.  I’m a little worried,” I explained.

“Well, that’s not good,” she said and frowned.

I nodded. “Yeah, he lives on the third floor and—,” I started to say but stopped when the old woman made a cheerful noise.

“Butters!  What a sweet young boy,” she said with a wide smile that made her wrinkles deepen.

I couldn’t help but smile back. “Yeah, Butters.  I know he’s home and I came to check up on him, but he’s not answering,” I explained.  I cleared my throat. “My name is Kenny.”

“Kenny?  Butters has told me about you.  He quite admires you.  I feel like I already know you,” the woman explained.  My heart did a backflip in my chest.  It was the stupidest thing but it made me happy. “Here, follow me.  I’ll let you in.”

“Thank you so much—uh—,” I thanked the woman as she slowly passed by me to the door.

“You can call me Grace,” she said as he slid her key into the lock to open the door.  I quickly grab it to hold it open as she passed through. “Why, thank you.”

“So, you know Butters?” I asked as I stepped inside and to the woman’s side.

“Yes, he lives upstairs from me.  He’s helped me with my groceries a few times and has even had dinner with me,” she explained and led the way to the stairs.

“You live on the second floor?” I asked.

The woman hummed as she slowly nodded. “Yes, it’s quite a strain on my old bones since the elevator is still broken, but I manage,” she explained and took a strained first step.

“Here,” I said and offered my arm out to her. “I’ll help you up.”

Grace smiled up at me.  Her bright eyes sparkled. “My, you really are a sweetheart.  Butters was definitely right about that,” she explained.  The ascent up the stairs was slow but I didn’t rush her.  She was careful with each step, even with me holding on to her tightly.  When we reached the second level, I let go of the old woman so she could step up to her unit door. “Thank you so much, Kenny,” she turned to say to me.

I nodded. “It’s no problem, ma’am,” I answered.  I turned to take a few steps up when Grace called out to me.

“Kenny,” she said.  I stopped to turn to face her.  She was still smiling. “Treat that boy nice.  He is truly the sweetest.”

I nodded again. “I will.  I promise, Grace,” I answered before I continued up to the third level.  I was racing up the steps but when I reached the door, I froze.  My body vibrated as I stood with my hand raised, ready to knock, but I couldn’t find the strength to do it.  I tried to swallow down the nerves that were rising in my throat like vomit. “Come on, Kenny.”

One final mental push and I knocked, loud.  I heard shuffling from the other side but it was quick before silence.  I lifted my hand again to knock and the door clicked open.  It hadn’t been latched properly.  I felt a wave of worry wash over me.  The door opened quietly as I slowly pushed it open.  I took a few cautious steps inside but stopped when I noticed papers and paintings scattered all over the floor of the living area.  It was a disaster.  I stepped in further.  The panic was growing inside me.  Something was seriously wrong.  It looked like the place had been ransacked.  Maybe Butters had been taken.  It could have been Wrath.  Wrath had Butters.

“Ah!” The scream startled me.  I quickly spun around.  Butters was standing outside the bathroom.  He removed the headphones from his ears as he let out a long sigh. “Oh, hamburgers Kenny, you scared me.”

“You—You weren’t answering your phone or the buzzer,” I replied with a slightly raised voice.

Butters’ eyebrows furrowed together as he removed his phone from his back pocket.  He tapped his thumb against the screen a few times before letting out a small noise. “Huh, well, I guess I was so focused, I didn’t even notice.”

“Well, thanks for making me worry!  I thought you had been ransacked or something!” I shouted as I gestured to the mess in the living area.

Butters tilted his head slightly to look around me.  His eyes blinked a few times before he straightened to look back at me. “I’m working on an assignment.  I guess it got a little out of hand,” he explained.

“Butters!” I shouted angrily.  I wasn’t sure exactly why I was angry.  I think it was just my body’s natural response to what was really going on inside me.

“Wh—Why are you yelling?” Butters asked as he lifted his hands to rub his knuckles together. “You barged into my apartment.”

“Because I thought something had happened to you,” I replied in a quieter voice but it was still full of bitterness.

Butters frowned. “I can take care of myself,” he muttered as he stepped out of the bedroom area to walk past me.  I didn’t turn.  I needed to calm down.  I didn’t go there to fight.  I went there to talk.

“Butters—,” I started to say as I spun around.

“What do you want, Kenny?” Butters demanded as he crouched down to gather up some of the scattered papers on his floor.

“I—I want to talk,” I replied and lowered my voice.

Butters paused for a second. “Talk about what?  There’s nothing to talk about,” he responded in such a quiet voice, I wasn’t sure I would have heard him if I wasn’t paying attention.

“How about the fact that you’re Professor Chaos?” I answered with my arms crossed over my chest.  Butters froze completely. “Or how about the fact that I’m Mysterion?  Maybe we can talk about how you lied to me and Kyle and Stan.  Or we can talk about how you didn’t tell me you left because you were sick, Butters!” My voice quickly rose until I was shouting again.  There was no stopping it, no matter how hard I tried.

Butters flinched.  He slowly stood and dropped the pile of papers down on top of the table. “Stan told you?” he asked in a quiet voice, his lips set the deepest frown I think his face could form.

“He kept your secret up until now but it’s time for the truth,” I explained and swallowed hard. “I deserve the truth, Butters.”

His eyes closed as he sighed.  I could see his hands shaking.  When he opened his eyes, he turned to walk over to the stool in front of his easel.  He sat down to fold his hands together.  He looked down at the floor.  He wouldn’t look up at me.  It bothered me, but I fought the urge to say anything about it.

“You know how I was in high school,” he started to say, his voice low but steady. “I was always sick and weak.  I didn’t think anything of it, but one day I decided to see the doctor.  He couldn’t explain what it was exactly, but he knew that whatever the problem was, it was damaging me.  I was sick, and there was no way for me to get better,” he explained.  I crossed my arms tightly over my chest as I listened.  He was fidgeting with his fingers.  He was nervous. “Then one night, I had a dream.  I still can’t really explain what happened in it, but I realized I needed to leave.  It was as if something was leading me, so I decided that after graduation I’d listen to my dream and go.  That’s how I ended up in Japan where I learned about the first set of vessels.” He lifted his gaze to look up at me.  My face instantly relaxed. “The first people to carry the curse of Life, Death, and Fate,” he explained.  His gaze dropped again. “It was like opening up a whole different part of myself.  I felt better than I had in months.  Shoot, even years.  Once I was done in Japan, I moved on to China.  I was being guided by a faint presence in my mind and every time that I learned about another set of people who lived with the curse, the presence grew stronger.  In every country, there was a set.  Three people who were bound to the curse at different times and in different countries.  They were all born about a hundred years apart and scattered across the world.  Germany, Russia, Italy, France, they were all over.  And then I discovered the set in England, where I found out I was being followed.  In Italy, I ran into a man on the street whose face I never saw.  In England, I ran into the same man wearing a mask who introduced himself as Dr. Wrath.”

I shifted my weight.  My fingers dug into my arm.  Just hearing his name was making my blood boil in my veins.  I think Butters felt my anger because he glanced up through his eyelashes but then quickly let his gaze fall back to the floor.

“My encounter with him was…rough,” he continued to explain. “I managed to escape, with the help of Death.  He had been the one guiding me from country to country.  He was the presence that was always with me.  He was also the one making me sick.  Being dormant was hurting me, so when he was finally released, I was no longer sick.  But, with me so far away, I was putting you in danger.”

My expression scrunched into confusion again.  Butters opened his hands to press his palms together.  I noticed the soft flickering of his electricity dance around his hand.  Something inside me craved the gentle touch of electricity against my skin.  I immediately pushed down that thought.

“Death knew that you were vulnerable, which means that Fate was sure to know as well.  He couldn’t feel Life which meant that he was still dormant.  So, I came back.  Death told me I’d find the vessel of Life here in Denver so I moved here and found…Mysterion.” He threaded his fingers together tightly. “I had to help wake up Life, and he had a knack for always being the hero.  If he had a cause to fight against, he would wake up.  So, I became Professor Chaos and confronted Mysterion as his enemy.  Death helped, of course.  He’d take the reins when things would get…physical.”

My fingers were still digging into my flesh.  I could feel the tension in my shoulders growing. “That was over a year and half ago,” I said in a low voice.  Butters quickly lifted his head to look up at me. “There were months where you were here, in Denver, and you didn’t reach out to us.”

Butters frowned. “I didn’t know you were here,” he replied in a small voice. “When I went back to South Park to see my parents, I didn’t see anyone else.  My mom and dad didn’t know where you guys had gone, they just knew you had left.  I didn’t know how to find you.”

“You could have called,” I snapped. “You had a dozen ways to try to reach out to us, you just didn’t.  You chose not to,” I growled angrily.

Butters flinched.  His head quickly lowered.  His hands unclasped to grab his knees. “I was scared,” he whispered. “So much had happened.  So much that was hard to explain.  I—I didn’t know how to explain it.  I didn’t know how to face you after everything that happened,” he explained.  His shoulders started to shake. “I wanted to tell you why I left, but then it got complicated.  Who would have believed such a crazy story?  So, I didn’t reach out.  I focused on Mysterion and enrolled in school.  Then—,” he paused to lift his head.  His bright blue eyes were highlighted by the tears that formed.  My entire body immediately melted.  I let out the soft, shaky breath I had been holding on to for dear life, like if I let it go then I’d never get it back. “I heard you.  I thought it was a dream.  It was you though.  You were real and here and I wanted to tell you everything.  I just wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t,” he explained.  His voice was shaking and he was fighting back the urge to cry.  His hands lifted to wipe at his eyes, swiping away the tears that were forming faster than he could brush away. “I didn’t want to leave.  I know you were mad, you didn’t want to see me, but I wanted to stay.  I missed you, Kenny.” He sniffled loudly. “I’m sorry.  I’m sorry I left.  I’m sorry I lied.  I’m—I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“Butters,” I managed in a small voice.

“I’m sorry,” Butters said between loud sniffles and short gasps of air.

_“If they find out who I am, I’m afraid they’ll never really understand.  They’ll shut me out or worst, they’ll be afraid of me,”_ Chaos’ words echoed in my head.  Butters’ words.

I finally uncrossed my arms to let my hands clutch into tight fists at my sides.  My footsteps were heavy against the floor as I moved across the living room.  The papers fluttered around me as I moved.  Butters looked up when I was within reach.  His eyes were red and puffy.  His soft, porcelain cheeks wet from the tears that stopped for a moment as I reached out to grab his wrist.  Electricity sparked against my skin.  It was soft flicks that tickled my skin and made the hairs on my arm stand up.  I pulled Butters onto his feet.  He took a few steps until his body pressed against mine.  His arms immediately went up to wrap around my neck and mine encircled his waist to pull him tightly against me.

“It’s okay, Butters.  You don’t have to apologize,” I whispered into his shoulder. “I understand.  It’s okay.  You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise.” I could feel Butters shutter against me.  His arms tightened around me as I lifted him onto his toes. “Don’t apologize.  I get it now.  You don’t have to be scared anymore,” I said.  I felt the smaller body stop shaking against me.  He was calming down.  I moved my arms to put my hands on his hips.  He loosened his arms around my neck so we could pull apart enough to put some distance between us.  My hands moved up from his hips to brush his tears from his cheeks with my thumbs. “We’re here, Butters.  You’re not a monster and we’re not about to shut you out.  We’re here.  I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.  I need you.  Not just Chaos, but I need Butters.  I need my best friend.”

I saw a flash of what looked like pain cross his face.  His arms released from around me.  I could hear Life groaning loudly in my head. “Moron!  Come on!  Are you serious?” he shouted angrily.

“Thanks, Kenny.  I feel a lot better now,” he said with a flash of a small, weak smile.

_“Wait, no, that’s not—,”_ I thought to myself as he stepped back from me.

“You two are killing me here,” Life snapped and then groaned loudly. “You’re a complete moron!”

Butters moved to step around me.  My chest clenched as his shoulder brushed mine.  I felt it.  I felt our energy reach for each other but pulled apart as he pulled away from me.

“We’re tethered,” I said in a quiet voice.

“Now you listen!  Hallelujah, there must be a God!” Life shouted.

My body moved quickly.  I spun around and my hand found Butters’ wrist.  He stopped but didn’t turn around. “I wasn’t mad at you, Butters,” I said.  His head turned slightly so I could see the shift of his forehead as his eyebrows furrowed together. “You left and I wasn’t mad at you.  I was mad at myself because instead of being happy for you, I was unbelievably miserable,” I continued. “I knew that if you came to me to say goodbye, I’d only beg you to stay.  I wouldn’t have wished you luck.  I wouldn’t have smiled and told you how happy I was.  I would have yelled and screamed and asked you to stay with me.  I didn’t want you to leave.  I wanted you to stay.  I wanted you with me.” I paused.  Butters turned his head back forward to hide his face from me, but he couldn’t hide the slight pink that formed on the tips of his exposed ears.  My gaze travelled over his ears, through his yellow hair, and down to the back of his exposed neck.  A long plain of flawless skin with small bumps of his spine travelling up the middle. “I thought it was better to avoid you, to let you leave without saying anything, to be mad, than to tell you the truth.  I may have been mad.  I may have even tricked myself into believing I was mad at you, but I wasn’t.  I was mad at myself for never saying goodbye.  I was mad that I was selfish.  I was mad at the thought that you were happy and it wasn’t because of me.”

I don’t know when my hand started to move.  I didn’t even register that it was moving until my fingertips touched the soft skin above Butters’ collar.  His body shivered at the touch but he didn’t move away.

“I don’t fully understand what’s going on.  I don’t get everything.  Fate, destiny, it’s all shit.  But since I met you, I can’t help but feel a pull.  It’s constantly bringing me back to you.  We’re connected.  I think I felt it the first day I met you, and every day since then.  Even when you weren’t around, I was being pulled towards you.  When you came back, I was led straight to you.  Even though I didn’t know it was you, I still found you.  I think that’s the whole point.  I think no matter what, no matter which life, I’m always going to be drawn back to you.”

Life snorted. “Cheesy,” he teased.

I rolled my eyes as I removed both of my hands from Butters to press them to my head. “Agh!  Just shut up for once, stupid backseat driver!” I growled as I rubbed my knuckles against my head.

“But you make it so easy!” Life replied with a loud cackle.

“Fucking lunatic,” I muttered.  I lowered my hands and Butters was turned to face me.  His was contorted into confusion. “Uh, Life,” I said nervously as I tapped my finger against the side of my head, “he’s kind of a chatterbox and I haven’t quite figured out a way to shut him out yet,” I explained meekly.

“Just focus on something else.  A bored mind leaves you vulnerable,” Butters explained.

I scoffed. “Yeah, we know how great I am at focusing,” I replied sarcastically.

“Then let me help,” Butters said in a low voice.  There wasn’t much space between us so closing it was easy.  Butters grabbed a handful of my sweater with one hand to pull me forward.  Bodies pressed together as his other hand glided around my neck so his fingers could bury into my hair.

Think of your favourite dessert.  Think about the first time you tasted it.  Did your whole body melt at the taste and you just couldn’t wait for another bite?  Did you just want that taste to stay on your taste buds forever?  Have you ever experienced that?  That’s the closest I can come to describing him.

The moment his lips connected with mine, fireworks exploded in my head.  We had done this before, but this was different.  There was no sense of urgency.  There was no hesitation or confusion.  It was Butters and it was Chaos.  Both pressed against me mixed together in one body.  My hands found their natural place, one on Butters’ hip and the other on his lower back to hold him against me.  There was warmth everywhere.  Every place that our bodies connected was like fire.  Mouths moved against each other with inexperience of what the other liked, but holy fuck were we gonna learn and fast.  I leaned forward slightly, pressing harder into the heated kiss.  I just needed so much fucking more.  More of him.

Butters’ back arched slightly to compensate for my eagerness.  His fingers found their way deeper into my hair to kneed gently at my scalp.  I was hyper-focused on that touch.  It sent chills up and down my spine.  Then I felt the sharp pain in my bottom lip as Butters bit down on the tender flesh.  That small, sharp pain sent a wave rushing through my body.  It was a good rush.  It was a needy rush.  I held back though to enjoy in the moment we suddenly found ourselves in.  Small, panting breaths ghosted over each other’s faces with foreheads pressed together.  I couldn’t tell who was shivering with our bodies pressed so firmly together.  Maybe it was both of us.  Was it nerves?  Was it excitement?  Anticipation?  Want?  Hell if I knew what it was, but I liked it.

Lips brushed teasingly against each other before pulling away, creating a chase that made me sigh in frustration.  That earned a crooked, proud grin on Butters’ face.  The rush ran through me again but I couldn’t stop myself from moving.  Butters held on to my arms as I led him backwards.  His lower back pressed against the half wall a little more roughly than I had meant to, but it was quickly apparent that it wasn’t a bad thing.  He let out a soft moan at the rough impact.  My hand that was resting on his hip glided slowly up his side.  He arched at the touch.  His breath came out in a soft pant.  His usually large, bright blue eyes where half-lidded and dark.  His pupils were blown wide, practically taking up all the sky blue that surrounded them.  I slowed my hand down to enjoy every teasing moment I was making Butters suffer through.

Nothing had ever felt like what it felt like with him.  No one I had ever met, ever touched, made me literally feel fire and electricity all at the same time.  It was him.  Fucking everything was about him.

When I reached the space where his chest and neck connected, he was panting heavily.  I leaned forward but instead of touching his lips, mine pressed to the side of his jaw.  His body tensed against mine as his head instinctively tilted back to expose exactly what I wanted.  A clean plain of skin down his neck.  Each kiss I placed against the skin made him moan or sigh.  His hands danced from clutching onto my arms to slide between us.  I didn’t stop as he grabbed onto the zipper of my sweater to pull it down.  I exhaled against Butters’ neck as nimble hands dove under my open sweater to press to my chest.  I lifted my head.  Butter’s hands moved over my shoulders to push my sweater off.  It clattered softly against the floor.  His eyes shifted down as he swallowed down something hard in his throat.  Whatever possessed me to put on the tightest shirt I apparently had in my closet, I was thankful in that moment for it because of the expression created on Butters’ face.  I lifted my hand to grab his chin.  His eyes immediately shot back up to meet mine.  I kissed him.  This time it was harder, needier.  He moaned against my lips as his hands found their spot on my chest again.  I disconnected from the soft lips I pressed against, earning a small disappointed groan.

“Kenny,” Butters gasped through heavy panting breaths.  I lost my breath to the sight.  Swollen lips, half-lidded eyes, it was the side of him I only ever wanted to see.  No one else.  I wanted my name to be the only one he ever said breathless and begging for more.

I moved my arms to wrap them around Butters’ waist.  He yelped as I lifted him off the ground.  He was a bit heavier than I had expected, but I held on tightly to him as he wrapped his arms around my neck and his legs around my waist.  His hand pushed into my hair to gently rub my scalp.  I carried him into the adjoining bedroom and carefully set him down on the bed.  His breathing was calmer as he stared up at me, his hands splayed beside his head to rest on the mattress.

“Butters,” I said in a low voice as I pressed my hand to his cheek.  He leaned into the touch with closed eyes.  It didn’t seem real.  It wasn’t possible.  I had given up so long ago. “It has to be a dream,” I whispered unintentionally.

Butters’ eyes slowly opened. “What is?” he asked.

“You,” I answered. “It can’t be real.”

Butters smiled as he turned his head slightly to press his lips to the inside of my hand.  My body tingled at the touch.  I leaned down, pressing my body carefully against him without crushing my weight against him.  My thigh pressed between Butters’ legs, earning a small moan from him as he pressed his head back against the mattress.  I captured his lips against mine.  I moved the hand I had pressed to his cheek to move along his arm to thread my fingers between his.  Electricity tingled my skin along my fingers and the back of my palm.  I could feel Butters’ energy feeding off him and wrapped around me.  It was powerful, a little unstable, but also gentle against my skin.  Butters grabbed my bottom lip with his teeth again and that sparked the fire deep in the pit of my stomach.  I pressed my lips hard against his again.  My thigh moved forward to rub against Butters.  He gasped into my mouth, which was exactly what I wanted.  His open mouth allowed me access to dive my tongue inside.  Butters moaned at the contact as my tongue swept over his and then the roof of his mouth.  Both of his hands dug into my hair as he pressed harder against the contact.  His energy was dancing over my skin, leaving tiny sparks everywhere it touched.

A high-pitched ringing suddenly filled my head.  It started small but quickly escalated to the point I flinched away from the contact with Butters.  I quickly sat up as I pressed my hand to my forehead. “Kenny?” Butters sat up with worry in his tone. “What’s wrong?”

The ringing continued to escalate until it was painful in my head.  I grabbed fistfuls of my hair with both hands as I stepped back off the bed. “Ah!” I screamed in pain.

“Kenny!” Butters shouted as he quickly pushed himself up to his feet to reach out for me.  The room spun around me and I was suddenly falling backwards.  I waited to hit the floor but instead it felt like I crashed into the surface of water.  Everything went dark around me.  I was floating.  I struggled to find any direction that made sense.  Nothing made sense.  I swung my arms and kicked my legs to try to touch anything.  There was nothing.

“Kenny, relax!” Life’s voice echoed through the dark.

“What the hell is going on?” I shouted back.

I grunted as my feet connected with a hard surface.  The force made me collapse to my hands and knees.  My breath came out in heavy pants. “Are you alright, Kenneth?” My eyebrows knitted together in confusion.  I lifted my head to look up at the woman who stood in front of me.  She had dark brown hair in a complicated hairstyle. “Please, don’t be alarmed, dear boy,” she added.  Her voice had a heavy English accent.  She stepped towards me as she lowered herself to a crouch.

“Who are you?” I asked.  She wore an old dress made of green fabric that pooled around her.  It looked like something out of a museum.

“I was the vessel for Life before you, dear boy,” the woman explained. “Now I am merely a shadow attached to the curse that you carry.”

“So you’re the one Life called boring?” I asked.  I had no idea why that was the first thing that popped into my mind.

The woman rolled her eyes. “I believe he’s called me that at times.  He is an incredibly vulgar spirit with no taste,” she snapped back.

“Awe, come one, Dorothy,” the familiar voice of Life said nearby.  He was standing off to the side, his arms crossed over his chest with a crooked, half smile on his face that was still a direct copy of my own. “There’s no need to be mean.”

“You can be absolutely useless sometimes.  You haven’t even told him what he needs to know yet.  You’ve just been playing like a child,” the woman named Dorothy explained sternly as she stood.

“It doesn’t hurt to have some fun once in a while,” Life replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Can someone tell me what the hell is going on and where I am?” I spoke up, interrupting the bickering between the two of them.

“Do you wish to do the honors or shall I?” Dorothy asked Life.

“You be my guest,” Life insisted.

“I wish at least one of you would explain!” I snapped.  I could still feel the phantom touches across my skin.  I itched with anticipation.  I wanted to go back.  I wanted to finish what we had started.  I had never felt so addicted to something before, but he was intoxicating.  Every touch of our lips created sparks.  His touches across my skin were something I think I always wanted, but never knew.

“There’s a secret we have kept from everyone for centuries,” Dorothy explained.  She set her hands against her hips to glare at Life. “A secret you should have told the boy a long time ago.”

Life shrugged his shoulders. “He was the one being an ass, and then I had to figure out if he was even worth telling.  The way he was going, it looked like he wasn’t going to last very long.”

“I am right here, you know,” I growled. “Now stop deflecting and tell me what the hell is going on.  What secret?”

“The secret of how to stop Fate, for good,” the woman explained.  My heart stopped in my chest.

“What?” I asked with a sharp snap.

Dorothy stepped towards me to reach her hands out towards me.  I hesitated before I took them so she could help me to my feet. “Fate has ruled for far too long.  It has created destruction, chaos, and hate.  We need to end this cycle, and you are the one we’ve been waiting for to do it.”

“Dorothy,” Life said in a warning tone.

“Each vessel that Life has taken over has taken a step towards truly disposing of Fate.  We are finally at the point where it can be done,” Dorothy explained, ignoring Life.

“How do I stop him?” I pushed.

Dorothy’s hands pressed against my cheeks with a soft touch.  Her eyes lit up with the same bright gold I saw in my reflection of the car in the parking lot during the standoff between the police and the Arachne gang.  I felt the wave of energy from her slam against me.  Thoughts, no, memories flashed in my mind.  Memories that weren’t mine.  Memories that didn’t belong to me, but I felt like I had lived them before.  Memories with different faces, but I knew them.  They were me in different lives, spread across time.  Different lives and in each one, I wasn’t alone.  Different faces, the same energy.  The same presence.

“Butters,” Stan’s voice suddenly echoed. “It’s alright.”

“It’s been hours,” Butters replied.  His voice was strained with worry. “We should take him to the hospital.”

“Butters, please, breathe,” Stan pleaded.

“Stan’s right.  You need to calm.  It’s not going to help with you panicking the way you are,” Kyle spoke up.

“Ah, sorry,” Butters apologized in a small voice.

I felt a hand against my cheek.  It pressed there for a moment before it moved to my forehead. “Come on, Kenny.  Open your eyes,” Stan’s voice whispered.

Silence.  Then I was suddenly snapped forward, like a force was dragging me out from the deep part of my brain I was stuck in.  The memories that had flooded around me were left behind as my eyes snapped open.  I woke with a sharp inhale.  I was instantly hit with a sharp pain in the back of my head.

“Kenny?” Stan said with a worried tone.

I sat up to see Butters look up.  He was standing with his back pressed to the short wall, his arms crossed over his chest that quickly unfurled when Stan spoke.  He visibly stopped himself from moving. “Is he awake?” Kyle’s voice shouted from outside the room.  I was pretty sure he was in the kitchen.

“My head hurts,” I groaned as I rubbed the back of my head.

“Well, it impacted with the floor pretty hard.  You were unconscious for three hours,” Stan explained.

I turned to look at him with furrowed eyebrows. “Three hours?  You didn’t think to take me to the hospital or something?” I snapped. “Why are you even here?”

“Butters called us in a panic.” Stan shrugged his shoulders. “Also, it’s not like you can die or anything.  We were just gonna wait it out,” he explained.

“Asshole,” I muttered and shifted to sit at the end of the bed with my feet pressed to the floor.  I ran my fingers through my hair as I lifted my head and looked up.  Butters was still pressed to the wall.  His hands were fidgeting in front of him.  His lips were set in small frown as he pinched his bottom lip between his teeth.

“So?” Life asked from deep in my head. “Do you understand it all now?”

I couldn’t hold back the small smile that formed on my face. “What’s wrong with you?” Stan asked curiously.

“I know how to stop Wrath,” I answered without looking away from Butters.  His eyes blinked a few times but they couldn’t stop being wide.  The bed creaked as my weight left it.  I quickly crossed the space of the room to find myself standing in front of the blonde.  His body was rigid, like he was holding himself back from something.  I quickly reached out to grab his arms and his hands immediately stopped fidgeting. “Butters, I know how to stop Fate for good!”


	11. The Fourth Curse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know how hard it is to try to act normal when you've got someone constantly in your head? Always talking, interrupting, just being--for fuck's sake, shut up! Yes, I'm talking about you! Because you're an idiot, that's why! Oh, shut up, what the hell do you know?
> 
> See? I'm trying to have a conversation and he's interrupting. Talk about the biggest fucking cock block. Yes, you know what that means. Stop acting like a moron. You do too!
> 
> Ugh, never mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> I want to thank EVERYONE who has been so supportive of Soulmates! You guys are all the best and make me so damn happy every single time I see a comment or kudos! You are all the absolute best!!
> 
> I also want to apologize for dragging this story out but I wanted to make sure it wasn't rushed. I know there hasn't been a whole lot of Bunny moments but don't you worry, they are coming. Trust me, it's going to be all worth it!
> 
> Enjoy lovelies!

“You wanna actually try explaining what the hell it is that you’re talking about?” Kyle asked as he entered the room.  He sat between Stan and Butters on the bed, his legs crossed so he could rest the large bowl of popcorn in his lap. “Wow, this is a really comfortable bed.”

“Thanks,” Butters turned his head to say with a wide smile.  He was sitting close to the edge to make sure the other two had enough room.  Considerate, as always.

“Ooh, popcorn,” Stan said excitedly as he reached over to dig his hand into the large bowl in Kyle’s lap.  Some of the kernels spilled over the side when Kyle smacked Stan’s hand away.

“Are you done yet?” I stopped pacing to snap.  All three of them straightened. “You’re like a bunch of children sometimes.  Can you guys grow up long enough for me to talk?”

Stan shoved the handful of popcorn in his mouth so he could salute. “Sir, yes, sir!” Kyle yelled loudly and then jammed as much popcorn into his mouth that he could fit.  Butters stifled the laugh that almost forced itself from him as Kyle and Stan stuck their tongues out at each other.

It was a complete turn around from how we were a few minutes before.  I woke from my temporary coma disoriented but excited.  It took Stan and Butters to bring me through the cloud in my mind to calm me down enough so I could think properly.  Kyle was too busy making popcorn. “Alright, so, here’s what we know so far,” I started as I continued to move back and forth across the room.  There were so many thoughts in my head I had to get them all out before I exploded.  Dorothy and Life gave me enough information to fill a whole warehouse if I wanted to.  Regardless of the fact that my head should have felt a hundred pound, I felt light, like I had been walking around with a haze across my mind that finally lifted. “Butters and I are the current vessels for Life and Death.  A man named Philip Marco, who I have no connection to other than he has come into my work a few times, is the current vessel for Fate.  Fate is bad.  Fate wants to do bad things like start World Wars and genocides.  Life and Death are symbols of balance so they want to stop Fate from doing bad things.  Life is a carefree, stubborn, loud-mouth dickhead—.”

“Asshole,” Life muttered quietly.

“Sounds familiar,” Kyle spoke up through a half mouthful of popcorn.

“—shut up—and Death is actually a cool and collected smarty pants who is also kind of a stick in the mud,” I finished.

“Also sounds familiar, minus the stick in the mud part,” Kyle explained.  He leaned over towards Butters to press against him with his head on the blonde’s shoulder. “You’re not a stick in the mud,” he whispered loudly.

“Thanks buddy,” Butters replied cheerfully as he gently patted Kyle’s head.

“Focus!” I shouted.  Kyle and Butters both straightened.

“Oh, you got in trouble,” Stan said in a singsongy voice to the two sitting on the bed next to him.

I was still revved up with energy and anytime I had to stop only made it worst.  It was like I was one of those windup toys and someone was holding on to the winder. “Anyways!” I shouted to get the attention back on me. “Life and Death have done a good job at trying to hold Fate back but each time they manage to get rid of Fate, it’s only temporary.  The curse somehow continuously resets every approximately one hundred years.  Now, Life doesn’t know why that is the case.”

Butters shook his head when I turned my attention to him. “Neither does Death,” he answered.

“Alright, so the origin story is a no go, but what I can tell you all is that there is more to the overall story, especially the ending,” I explained and crossed my arms over my chest.  My lips were stretched up into the widest grin my face could handle.

“Are you following this?” Kyle leaned towards Stan to ask in a quieted voice.

Stan shrugged his shoulders. “I’m listening but I think I’ve actually been asleep since the start,” he answered.

“Of Kenny’s speech?” Kyle turned his head to ask before he tossed a few kernels into his mouth.

“Oh no, since the start of our friendship,” Stan joked.  Kyle hummed understandingly.

“I’m gonna kick you two out soon,” I growled seriously.

“Too bad this is Butters’ house and Butters loves us,” Kyle explained as he wrapped an arm around Butters tightly.  The blonde chuckled quietly.

“Kenny, just tell us,” Butters said while leaning against Kyle.  His face was so bright.  His smile was light but there was so much care in it.  His eyes were big and bright again.  I could stare at them forever.  Why did I stop touching him?  _Oh yeah, I fucking remember._

“Kenny!” Kyle shouted.  His arm wasn’t around Butters anymore so he could clap his hands together loudly.  The noise snapped me from my thoughts.

I cleared my throat loudly. “Right!  So, when I was unconscious I met Life’s previous vessel.  Her name was Dorothy.  She’s lovely, kind of like Kyle if he were a bitter old lady,” I explained with a smug grin.  Kyle flipped me off, his face dropped with a ‘fuck you’ expression.  I tried to hold back my chuckling. “Anyways, Dorothy told me about how all the previous vessels had been trying to find a way to permanently get rid of Fate.  Each time they’d stopped Fate, it always comes back along with Life and Death.  Dorothy believed it was because there was something missing.  Or rather, someone was missing.”

Butters’ eyebrows narrowed together in interest and confusion.  There was a shift in the energy in the room.  It threw me off.  Stan and Kyle looked at each other to shrug their shoulders. “What?” Butters asked curiously.

“Dorothy and Life believe there is a fourth vessel,” I answered bluntly.

The room went strangely quiet.  Butters seemed to be processing my words as Kyle and Stan both tilted their heads in the same confused way. “There’s another one of you?” Kyle asked.

“Let’s hope not,” Stan muttered with a terrified expression.

I rolled my eyes dramatically. “Yeah, sort of.  A fourth vessel with a fourth curse who Dorothy believes can stop Fate,” I explained.

“Death was never made aware of the possibility of a fourth,” Butters piped up.  He sounded offended.

I chuckled nervously as I lifted my hand to rub the back of my neck. “Yeah, he wouldn’t have.  Life and the previous vessels all vowed to keep the secret to themselves, at least until they had some evidence other than just blind faith.  None of them told a single soul,” I explained and paused to exhale softly.  I lowered my voice as I added, “They weren’t sure they could trust Death or Death’s vessels.  They weren’t sure they could trust anyone.”

Butters looked surprisingly nervous suddenly. “Did—Did they explain why?” he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Not really and I didn’t really think to ask,” I answered with a small shake of my head.

“Alright, so, there’s a fourth curse or whatever,” Stan leaned forward slightly to say. “What is the curse?  And how the hell do you plan on finding one person out of this entire world?”

“Well, there’s obviously nothing concrete or else there’d be a lot more progress.  Dorothy and Life have no idea what the curse is, but when it comes to us there’s one advantage,” I explained. “They are here, in Colorado, at least.”

“How can you be sure?” Kyle asked with a hand raised in the air.

I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s just the way it’s always been.  The vessels have always been born and lived incredibly close to each other.  China, Germany, Italy, France, it’s been the same no matter which lifetime the vessels have lived in.  Over time they get pulled together.  It’s got to be the same with the new vessel.”

“Alright, say the vessel is here in Denver.  Do you plan on introducing yourself to every single person across the city until you find them?” Stan asked. “I’m just—I don’t see this being the easiest solution to the problem when you have no idea who to look for or even where to start looking for them.”

I sighed heavily.  My fingers found their way through my hair. “That’s the problem.  The vessel has stayed hidden for centuries.  It’s obvious they’re taking care to hide and make sure not to draw attention to themselves.  It’s going to be a challenge,” I explained and turned my attention to smile at Butters.  He blinked before he smiled back at me, “but we’re going to figure it out, right Buttercup?”

He nodded frantically.  I could feel the judging eyes of Kyle and Stan on me.  I couldn’t hide it from them, not even if I tried. “A good old game of hide and seek with a faceless opponent.  What could go wrong?” Kyle asked sarcastically.

Stan suddenly slapped his hand against his leg before groaning to stand up. “Well, I don’t know about you three but all of this has made me hungry and we all know how useless I am on an empty stomach.”

“Not just on an empty stomach,” Kyle replied in a low voice.

Stan chose to ignore the smartass comment from his friend. “I’m officially starving.  Let’s get some dinner.”

“Yes!” Kyle shouted excitedly as he launched himself off the bed, almost dropping popcorn on the floor. “I am so ready for some actual food.”

Kyle quickly rushed out of the room with Stan trailing behind him.  He slowed down as he passed me to smile and wink.  I gave him a slightly confused look back in response.  He and Kyle were out of the room and out of view even though I could still hear them bickering from the kitchen.  I turned my head back around and our eyes locked.  Blue against blue.  Butters held my gaze for a moment before he shifted nervously.  He was playing with his fingers.  I noticed the small tint of red form on his cheeks before he turned his attention away from me.  I took the opportunity to quickly cross the space as Butters stood.  He flinched like he wasn’t expecting me to be so close so quickly but relaxed almost instantly with his bottom lip pinched between his teeth as his bright, blue eyes met mine again.  I would have killed to know what thought was in his mind at that moment.

“Butters,” I said with my hand raised.  I wasn’t sure why I hesitated before my palm gently touched his chest.  Nervous was the only word I could think of.  I let my hand slowly glide down to touch his side.  He shuddered gently and swallowed noticeably. “We should talk, I guess, about what happened earlier,” I said in a low voice to keep Kyle and Stan from hearing me.

“Now?” Butters asked, leaning over slightly to look around me.  There was nervousness on his expression.  It was adorable as fuck.

I shook my head. “No, not now necessarily.  I just mean, we should talk about it when we’re alone and together,” I said.  My throat was so dry suddenly. “We should talk about what we’re going to do now that we know about each other and how we’re going to find the new vessel and—.”

“How you kissed me?” Butters asked with a small smile.  It was completely out of left field but I wouldn’t lie that seeing the darker side of Butters was a huge turn on.

I was frozen in my rambling tracks.  I scoffed as I pulled my arms up to cross them over my chest. “Excuse you, you were the one who kissed me,” I replied with the fakest serious tone I could form.

Butter shook his head. “I was just trying to help you concentrate.  You were the one who took it too far,” he explained.

I grinned wide as I leaned forward.  Butters moved his hands behind his back as he stood perfectly still.  He didn’t move.  He didn’t flinch.  We were so close, I could feel the heat coming off his body. “Well, you can help me concentrate anytime you want,” I said in a low growl.  The shade of rose that returned on Butters’ cheeks made something twist in my insides. “I’m all out of focus,” I whispered.

We were so close.  I could practically taste him.  He pinched his lips between his teeth and our locked eyes was finally broken when he suddenly looked down past my nose.  My hand twitched at my side.  I was about to move.

“Are you two coming or what?” Kyle shouted from the other room, breaking the tension between Butters and me.  I leaned back as I took a step away.  It took everything I absolutely had not to pick up where we left off with Stan and Kyle so dangerously close.

We piled into my car with Stan next to me in the passenger’s seat.  It wasn’t that anyone felt bad enough to let him have the front seat, he was just really good at yelling shotgun before everyone else.  The engine revved to life and then we were driving towards the diner we took Karen to when she visited.  It was beginning to become a regular spot for us because Stan and I fell in love with the fries from there.  The waitress was even starting to pick up on our regular orders seamlessly which I wasn’t sure was a good thing, but I also didn’t really care.

“I’ll be right back with those orders, boys,” she said with a wide smile as she took our menus.

Butters was busy looking at his phone but I noticed Stan clear his throat quietly to catch Kyle’s attention before he tilted his head in the direction of the blonde sitting next to him.  Kyle cleared his throat louder than his Super Best Friend. “Do you think those actually work?” Kyle asked as he pointed across the room.  There were a few old arcade games shoved into the corner I had noticed a few times.  Pac-Man and Donkey Kong were two that I could see from the booth we were sitting in.  Stan and Butters turned in their seats to see where Kyle was pointing. “Butters, let’s go take a look.”

Kyle pushed against my shoulder to force me out of the booth.  I swatted his hand away but stood to let him leave.  He grabbed Butters’ wrist as he passed by to pull him from his seat next to Stan. “Uh, o—okay!” he stammered.

I slid back across the bench. “What the hell was that about?” I snapped as my eyes stayed stuck to Butters.  The way his hips swayed as he walked and he looked back to flash me a smile as Kyle continued to pull him along behind him made my heart flutter.

“Oh, okay, that’s it,” Stan said.  He shifted back around in his seat to reach across the table to smack the side of my head.  My attention immediately snapped from Butters to the raven-haired boy across the table from me.

“Ouch!  The hell, Stan?” I snapped angrily as I rubbed at the sore spot on the side of my head.

“What the hell happened?” Stan leaned forward to ask.  His face was beaming with interest.

I narrowed my eyebrows together. “What do you mean?” I asked in a small voice.  Stan reached across the table to smack me again but on the opposite side of my head. “Ouch!  Stop that.  I mean it.  Just because your arm is broken doesn’t mean I’m not afraid to beat you up still.”

“Kenny, do you think we’re idiots?” he asked.

“Well, yeah,” I answered bluntly with a small smirk from the corner of my mouth.  Stan started to swing but I quickly caught his wrist. “Hah!  Ow!” The foot that connected with my shin under the table was not gentle.  I leaned forward to press my forehead against the table as I reached down to rub the sore spot.

“You told him how you feel about him,” Stan said more matter-of-factly than in a question.

“Not exactly,” I muttered with my cheek pressed against the cool table.

“Kenny, what the fuck?” Stan snapped loudly.

I quickly lifted my head. “I told him about how I felt when he left.  I told him how I felt the connection between us,” I explained.

Stan’s eyebrow cocked up. “But did you actually tell him you like him?” he asked.

I slumped back against the back of the seat as I tapped my fingers against the table. “I mean, not the actual words themselves, but I said it in like a different way,” I explained in a small voice.

“I swear, I am going to beat you with the pepper shaker,” Stan said in a low, flat voice.

“Don’t you dare,” I snapped back at him. “At least use the salt shaker so I can make a pun about being salty.”

“You’re fucking hopeless,” he replied with a heavy sigh.  His hand lifted so he could pinch the bridge of his nose.

“You have to give me some credit.  What I said worked.  We kissed and would have done more if it weren’t for some annoying dickhead with bad timing,” I growled.

“You’re welcome,” Life quickly chimed in sounding way too damn proud.

I rolled my eyes. “So, you two kissed and possibly did some other fairly nasty things I don’t want to know about, but you didn’t actually tell him that you have feelings for him?” Stan asked.  I nodded as I shrugged my shoulders. “Alright, I need something sharper than a butter knife,” he muttered and turned in his seat. “Excuse me!  Can I get a meat cleaver over here?” he shouted to the waitress standing behind the counter.  Heads turned from all around the room, including Kyle and Butters.

“Stan,” I snapped sharply, “stop being so damn dramatic.  He’s kidding!”

Stan spun back around in his seat to lean over the table towards me. “You spent over a year as a miserable sap unable to express any sort of feeling to anyone other than Kyle and I and Karen.  You slept around, never got involved in a serious relationship, and it was all because of him.  Now he’s here and obviously feels the same way and you’re acting like a complete and utter idiot,” he explained in a slightly raised voice.

“He does?” I asked with a small tilt of my head.

“How fucking dense are you?” Stan snapped angrily.

“Like on a scale of one to ten, or—?” I asked as I dragged out the last word.

Stan slapped his hand down against the table.  I flinched as the loud bang echoed throughout the restaurant to earn judging stares again. “I am getting the meat cleaver,” he growled.

“Stan, come on, it’s not that bad,” I whispered in a low voice.

“It is bad.  You can’t fuck with feelings, Kenny.  You need to say the words or else you both are going to get the wrong impression and someone’s going to get hurt,” he growled.  He exhaled heavily as if he was attempting to release some of the strain in him. “You have the emotional capacity of a fucking toddler.”

“Good or bad thing?” I asked teasingly.

“Bad.  Very, very bad,” he answered sternly.  His hand ran down his face as he let out an exacerbated sigh. “I just don’t know what it is that you’re so scared of.”

The frown that formed on my face was deep and natural.  My eyes shifted from Stan to look over the tops of the benches to the yellow hair that glowed from the setting sunlight bouncing off the windows of the surrounding buildings.  I couldn’t explain it.  When I looked at him, I admired absolutely everything about his features.  He was flawless, perfect.  Gentle when he touched me and yet strong enough to throw his body around during a fight.  There wasn’t a single thing I didn’t like about him, and yet, there was a voice.  I couldn’t be sure if it was Life or my own, I wasn’t even sure there was a difference anymore, but it was telling me to be cautious.  It was there the first time I met Butters as Professor Chaos and it was still there stuck to my brain like a bright neon sign.  Since I found out Butters was Professor Chaos, I think the voice only got louder.

“I don’t know,” I answered in a small voice.  I could see Stan’s expression twist into confusion in the blurred edges of my vision. “I can’t explain it.”

Stan sighed.  My attention slipped back to him. “There’s still so much I don’t understand about all this.  So much I don’t understand about you and Butters.  It’s like finding out you two are completely different people and you’ve been living lies the entire time I’ve known you.”

I scoffed. “You’re telling me,” I replied with a small shake of my head. “You know, I haven’t really stopped to think about all this.  It’s more like…instinct.  Every time something comes up, I just let my body go.  I don’t think.  I’ve never once thought it through before I’ve done something and I think that’s the reason why so many bad things have happened,” I explained.  I frowned but it quickly disappeared from my face when Stan reached across the table to flick the space between my eyebrows. “Ow, what was that for?”

“You need to stop looking so damn depressed all the time, dude.  Everyone’s fine, and we’re gonna figure this all out together.  We’re going to find whoever this fourth cursed vessel is and stop Wrath.  It’s not just you, Kenny.  It’s us too,” Stan explained.  He turned in his seat to look over the back of his bench.  I could see the corner of his mouth turn up slightly into a small grin. “In order to make this all work though, you and Butters need to start being truthful with each other.  You need each other against Wrath.”

“I’ve got to give Staney-boy some credit,” Life piped up from the deep recesses of my mind, “he’s a lot smarter than he acts.”

I chuckled.  Stan shifted his gaze back to me but kept his arm draped along the back of the bench.  His eyebrows narrowed curiously. “What?” he asked curiously.

I quickly shook my head. “Nothing.  Don’t worry about it,” I replied with a grin.

“Awe, come on, tell him.  He’ll love it,” Life added.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

The young woman panted heavily as she ran through the trees.  The soft breeze made the leaves move with the quiet rustling sound.  The heavy footsteps following quickly behind her were getting closer until she was suddenly grabbed.  She yelped loudly as she was pinned against the ground.  The man on top of her pressed his weight against her to the point she couldn’t move.  She tried to scream for help but the heavy pressure against her chest trapped her voice.  Her face was pushed roughly into the soft ground.  She thrashed her arm, trying to get herself free from the heavy weight on her back, but the man had the advantage over her.

“It’s alright,” he whispered in a low voice. “You’ll enjoy this soon enough.”

“Please,” the woman whimpered through heavy sobs.  Her face was pushed harder into the ground.  She couldn’t get her breath.

“Shh, just try to—,” the man began to whisper but stopped when his weight was suddenly pulled off the woman’s body.  She was panting heavily, trying to catch her breath that had been constricted.

“It’s okay.” The woman flinched away when a hand touched her.  She quickly flipped over and scrambling away from the touch.  Chaos lifted both hands in surrender. “We’re not here to hurt you.  We’re just here to help,” he assured her in a gentle voice.

The woman’s breath continued heavily in panic.  She turned her head to look up as I held on to the attacker’s arm pinned behind his back.  He groaned in pain the tighter I pulled his arm in the direction it resisted. “You—You’re Mysterion,” the woman explained breathlessly.

“That I am,” I replied with a crooked grin.

The woman turned her attention back to Chaos. “Who are you?” she asked.

Chaos chuckled softly. “No one important.  Are you okay if I help you up?” he asked kindly.  The woman was hesitant but took Chaos’ hand to let him help her to her feet.  She stumbled a bit but Chaos made sure to keep her steady until she found her strength. “Are you alright?  Did he hurt you?”

The woman shook her head slowly. “I’m fine.  Thank you so much for your help,” she said as she smiled at Chaos and he smiled back.

He made sure she made it home safe after she refused to go to the hospital.  She insisted all she needed was a warm shower and some sleep.  I dropped the pervert off at the police station with an attached note to make sure there was no confusion about what happened.  It felt strange prowling the streets with Chaos at my side.  There was nothing different about what we were doing or how we were doing it, except that I was fully aware of the person underneath the mask.  It was the one person in the world I never would have expected and yet the one person I wanted it to be more than anyone else in the world.  It was as if I had been split in two my entire life, but when the secrets finally came out, the two pieces came slamming together to weld into one again.

I found him again on our building.  The one wrapped in scaffolding that never actually seemed to be worked on.  Whether there wasn’t enough funding to get the job done or they just gave up on the building, I had no idea.  I didn’t hate it though.  It made scaling the tall building easier with the metal bars running up its sides like the playgrounds I used to climb in middle school.  He stood in the middle of the rooftop with his back turned to me as he stared up at the sky.

“What are you doing?” Life suddenly piped up to ask.

I quietly shushed him.  I took a deep breath in and started to move.  I was beginning to understand what he meant when he told me my energy was connected to my emotions.  What was still hard, was actually controlling it.

I quietly stepped across the rooftop towards the still figure illuminated by the moonlight.  I managed to get as close as I ever got to him when I snuck up on him.  My hand was reaching out to grab his shoulder but the moment I touched him, I was suddenly grabbed and was thrown over his shoulder to slam against the rooftop with a loud grunt.  The sky spun above me for a moment and then the familiar sun-bright smile appeared in front of the canvas of twinkling stars.

“You’re getting better, but still not good enough,” Chaos explained smugly as he pressed his fingertip to the end of my nose. “I can still feel your energy leaking through the block you’re trying to create.”

“I don’t know how you always manage to get me on that,” I replied with a small frown. “Every single time.”

“What do you mean?” he asked curiously as his finger ran along my skin to press his hand against my cheek.  The tips of his fingers pushed underneath the bottom of my mask.  Something electrified inside me.  The idea of him removing that mask, even though he knew it was me underneath, it was…a turn on. “I’d find you anywhere.”

My heart threw itself against my ribcage.  The bright glowing violet eyes dimmed back to the ocean blue I was familiar to for a moment. “Why do they do that?” I asked as I slowly lifted myself to sit up.  Chaos shifted back but kept close enough that I could run my finger under his exposed eye. “I’ve always wondered why your eyes glow.”

“It’s Death and the energy he gives me.  It’s his way of helping me keep my identify safe and it’s something that happens when you learn to control your energy.  It becomes easier to control the more you open up to Life,” Chaos explained.

“Are you two done being gross?” Life asked with a flat tone.

I snickered lightly with a roll of my eyes. “That might be more difficult than you’d think,” I replied jokingly.

“Death isn’t sure why, but he feels a pretty strong bond between you two.  He thinks you’re probably the best vessel Life has ever had,” Chaos explained with a small smile.

Life scoffed loudly in my mind. “Seriously, what does that old fogey know?”

My eyebrows shifted together. “Aren’t you two the same age?” I asked with my eyes shifted to the side slightly.

“You two talk to each other a lot,” Chaos explained and turned his head.

“He’s just jealous he got stuck with the fuddy duddy,” Life said with a proud tone.

I rolled my eyes. “You’re fucking strange.”

“Mysterion, I hear something,” Chaos spoke up as he quickly stood and approached the edge of the rooftop.

“What?” I asked curiously.  I turned my head to follow him across the rooftop where a bright glow leaked up over the edge.  Chaos’ shoulder suddenly tensed as he stood looking out over the rooftops. “Chaos, what’s going on?” I was pushing myself up to my feet when he suddenly jumped from the edge of the roof. “Hey!  Wait, what’s—!” I called out as I scrambled forward.  My feet reached the roof’s edge and stopped suddenly.  Heavy rocks in my stomach weighed me down as I looked out to the large flames that stretched out from the windows of the tall apartment building a few blocks away.

“Mysterion!  We have to help!” Chaos yelled from around the corner as he raced down the scaffolding.

I didn’t have to think about following him, I just did.  We raced across the rooftops towards the inferno.  Even when we were out of breath or struggling to push our tired legs to carry us, we continued on.  We reached the rooftop two buildings away and stopped at the edge of the heat radiating off the flames in the building.  It was intense.

“We have to—,” Chaos said as he stepped forward.

“Hang on,” I stopped him with a hand wrapped tightly around his arm.  He flinched, let out a pained hiss, and I quickly released the arm I became aware was the one injured from the shootout between the cops and the Arachne gang. “I—I’m sorry, it’s just—you can’t go in there.”

His eyebrows narrowed together. “What?” he snapped.

“You’ll get hurt going in there.  You can’t go in,” I answered sternly. “Just stay here, please.”

“There’s still people inside!” someone screamed from below.  I leaned over slightly to look down at the residents standing in the street with the first responders. “On the top levels!  They couldn’t get out.”

“Oh shit,” I snapped with a sigh.  I quickly spun my head back around and Chaos’ cape was pooled on the rooftop where he was standing only seconds before. “Dammit, Chaos!” He was almost at the edge of the rooftop to jump off.  The glass had been blown out of the window across the short alleyway so he jumped through with ease to land inside the burning building. “Please, tell me he’s secretly immortal.”

“He is not,” Life answered dryly with a soft sigh.

“Son of a bitch,” I snapped loudly.

The jump into the building was less than ideal.  The heat was heavy in my throat and lungs.  I struggled to breathe through the dense smoke that filled the air and I had to make sure to keep my cape under control or else it was find its way to catch the flames around me.  I crouched down with the end of my cape pressed to my face to block out as much of the smoke as I could.

“Kenny, this is a bad idea,” Life mentioned worriedly.

“You’re fucking telling me,” I thought back to him as I started to move. “I can’t leave him in here by himself.  He’s going to get himself hurt.”

I was in the bedroom of an apartment unit.  I searched through the other rooms for anyone trapped but they were each empty.  I continued to make my way through the floor trying to find anyone but couldn’t find anyone until the floor above where the heat was denser and the smoke was thicker.  Heavy coughing came from the bedroom of one of the units.  I followed the noise to the closet where a young girl barely in her teens was huddled under some clothing sobbing loud enough for me to hear her.

“Hey,” I said as I removed the clothes to reveal the young girl underneath. “You alright?” Her cheeks were stained with tears. “Is there anyone else here?  Parents?  Siblings?”

The girl shook her head frantically. “N—No, it’s just me.  Mom and dad went out,” she explained through heavy crying hiccups.

“Okay, can you get up?  I’m gonna get you out of here,” I explained as I reached a hand out for her to take.  She was hesitant but took my hand.  I pulled her to her feet to wrap my cape around her as I started to lead her out of the room.  The fire was spreading quickly.  We were almost at the door when a large flame suddenly reached out to block the doorway out of the bedroom.

“I told you this was a bad idea,” Life said in a singsongy voice that immediately made my shoulders tense.

“I’m aware,” I growled between clenched teeth.  I lifted my foot to slam the door shut before I spun around to look for anything to spark an idea.  There wasn’t much except the heavy smoke and the window. “Well, time for another bad idea.” The glass in the window shattered as I tossed some solid knick-knack from the dresser into it.  The claws of the grappling hook swung out so I could attach it to the windowsill. “Let’s hope you’re good at gym, kid.”

“I—I don’t—,” the girl stammered nervously.

“Hey, look at me,” I snapped as I placed my hands on her shoulders. “We really don’t have much of a choice here, but you’re gonna be fine.  Just take your time and don’t look down.  Alright?”

The girl was shaking under my grip.  She looked over at the window with a nervous expression before she nodded rapidly at me.  I nodded back.  I helped her through the window to start her slow descent down the rope.  My heart raced watching her nervously make it down the side of the building.

I was suddenly hacking uncontrollably.  The heavy breaths and sore coughs had me collapse to my knees.  My hand clutched to the windowsill as I heaved to catch a breath.

“Kenny, you need to get out.  You’re inhaling too much smoke,” Life snapped loudly.

“Mysterion!” Chaos’ voice carried through the building to me.  I quickly spun around but was met with the thick cloud of smoke pouring out from under the door.  The amount I was breathing in was starting to take its toll on my breathing.  I coughed heavily again as I pressed my back against the wall.  My lungs were on fire. “Mysterion, where are you?”

“What are you doing down there?” a kind voice asked.  I slowly lifted my bobbing head to look up but my vision was blurring.  I couldn’t focus in on whoever it was standing in front of me with their hands placed on their hips.  They wore a large hood pulled over their head that made it harder with my impairment. “You may be immortal, but this can’t be comfortable.”

“Wha—What?” I asked hoarsely through a voice that was barely my own.  I could tell it was a woman standing in front of me, that was the only detail I could make out by the sound of her voice, which made it all the more confusing.  No one knew about the immortality except Butters, Stan, and Kyle. “Who are you?”

“I’ve got a few different names, just like you do,” the voice continued to say.  The figure shifted slightly. “Will, desire, passion, decision, to name a few.”

“What?” I snapped.

“I know you’ve been looking for me, Life.  You were close a few times, but you couldn’t quite figure it out before the end,” the woman explained.

“Holy shit,” Life swore.  His voice wasn’t in my head.  I turned my head and he was standing at the end of the twin bed in the corner. “It’s you.  The fourth curse.”

“Yes, I am,” the woman responded as she turned to face him.  She could see him which meant she had to have been in my head.  I was fucking hallucinating.  I started to cough loudly again. “Your vessel is running out of time, so I’ll make this quick.  This is my warning to you, Life.  Stop looking for me.”

“What?  Why?” Life asked with genuine confusion.

“Because you don’t understand this.  You couldn’t possibly understand what’s happening,” the woman explained bitterly.

“You make it sound like we haven’t just spent the last hundreds of years dealing with this nonsense,” Life snapped back at her angrily.

“You will continue to deal with it long from now,” the woman replied as she shifted her weight.

Life made a low growl in his throat. “Not unless you help us,” I spoke up through my raspy voice.

The woman shook her head slowly. “No.  You don’t understand.  I can’t help.  So, stop looking for me,” she explained bitterly.  The edges of my vision were darkening.  My head spun and my lungs were burning.  She slowly turned to face me again. “You’re out of time.”

The flames roared through the door of the bedroom, engulfing the woman in its heavy heat.  I lifted my hands to shield my head even though I knew it was a waste of fucking effort.  My eyes snapped open to look up at the ceiling of my bedroom.  I itched all over.  The sunlight streaked in over the ceiling with an orange tint.  I sat up with a loud groan as I rubbed my head. “What the hell was that?” I muttered to myself.  My throat was dry. “Have you ever met her before?” I asked but there was no response. “Hey, Life,” I added as I tapped my finger against the side of my head. “Hello?  Bad reception?  Come on, don’t actually make me talk to myself.  It’s been weird up until now but this is just weirder.” Still no response.  I groaned loudly as I turned to throw my legs over the edge of the bed. “Fine, just pout then.”

The television was playing quietly as I stepped past the kitchen.  Stan sat on the couch with his bowl of cereal balanced between his knees as he ate.  I stopped behind the couch ready to greet him but stopped myself when I noticed what he was watching.  The morning news, as per usual, but they were showing the burnt apartment building still being watered down by the firemen out front.

“—was put out around two in the morning.  One young lady was saved by a masked hero who helped her out the third-story window to safety.  The masked hero was later identified as Denver’s very own vigilante, Mysterion,” the voiceover of the reporter explained.

“Damn dude,” Stan said with a mouthful of cereal as he tilted his head back to look up at me. “You alright?  You don’t look so good.”

“I’m—,” I started to say but stopped myself again when the camera shifted back to the news reporter. “I’m fine.”

“Despite the best efforts of the first responders and the masked vigilante, there were three recorded deaths from the fire.  Investigators have determined the fire was started intentionally, but no further details have been released at this time,” the reporter explained.

“They…died?” I said quietly.  Pain formed in my chest.  I flinched when I heard the loud vibrating of my phone against the end table from my bedroom. “The hell?”

“Kenny?” Stan called out to me as I quickly raced past the kitchen back to my bedroom again.

The unknown caller ID on my screen made me hesitate but there was something nagging at me to pick up.  I never received phone calls unless it was from Kyle, Stan, Karen, or Butters.  I had never had an unknown caller before. “Hello?” I answered as I pressed the phone to my ear.

“Did you appreciate my gift?” a bone-chillingly familiar voice asked through the phone.

“Wrath?  How did you get my phone number?” I growled in response.

He chuckled.  The sound of it made my back tingle.  Ice slid through my veins. “I have my connections,” he explained suspiciously. “You didn’t answer my question.  Did you enjoy my gift?  It’s a shame those people died, but collateral damage is expected wherever we go.  It’s especially not the first time, and it won’t be the last.”

My hands started to shake. “You started that apartment fire?” I asked.

There was noise from out in the living room, followed by soft voices. “Well, yes.  You didn’t think I would stay quiet, did you?  After all, I am the villain here,” he explained with amusement in his tone.

“You son of a bitch,” I hissed into the phone.

“Kenny?” Butters’ voice carried into the room.

“I’m going to kill you, do you hear me?” I threatened the man who laughed from the other end of the phone.

“Kenny.” Butters was suddenly standing in the doorway. “Oh hamburgers!  Kenny!  Stop!”

“Do you hear me, Wrath?  You’re dead!” I shouted into the phone.  A nimble hand quickly snatched it out of my hand to hang up. “Hey!”

“Stop,” Butters snapped back.  He tossed my phone onto my bed before he lifted his hands to place them on my cheeks. “Kenny, please, calm down.”

“He—He killed them, Butters,” I growled.

“You have to calm down,” Butters practically begged. “Look at your hands.”

“What?” I asked confusingly.  Butters’ eyebrows knitted together.  I slowly lowered my eyes as I lifted my hands slightly between us.  The tiny flickering ribbons of gold energy danced around my fingers before they retreated back into my skin. “Oh,” I replied understandingly. “I’m—.”

“Glowing,” Butters said as he pressed his thumbs against the tops of my cheeks. “Your eyes are glowing.”

“Really?” I asked curiously.  Butters hummed approvingly as he nodded.  He was smiling gently but there was something unsettling hidden beneath it. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Something’s bothering you.  I can tell.” Butters hummed again but it was low and full of worry.  He avoided looking at me to lower his gaze along with his hands.  They were about to leave my chest when I quickly reached up to grab them. “Leopold, you can tell me.”

Butters rubbed his knuckles together nervously. “I—I ran into that building,” he started to reply in a small voice.

“You did,” I said sternly.  I had to let go of his hands or he may have felt me twitch.  I was mad he ran into the building.  The moment I looked back and he was gone, I felt anger and worry.

“You ran in after me,” Butter continued.

I rolled my eyes. “Of course I did.”

“And you were trapped upstairs.  You—You died,” he explained.  His voice shook at the end.  He stopped rubbing his knuckles together so he could thread his fingers to press his palms against each other.

“Butters, did you forget that I’m immortal?” I asked feeling kind of bad about making him so nervously uncomfortable.

He shook his head. “No, but it doesn’t make it any easier to think about,” he explained in a small voice.

I let out a soft sigh as I reached my hand up to brush my fingertips against his soft hair. “So, you came all the way over here to make sure I was alright?” I asked with a small smirk.

“Maybe,” Butters replied quietly.

“Because you were worried about me?” I asked teasingly.  My smirk was growing.  Butters lifted his gaze finally to look up at me through his eyelashes. “Because you care about me?”

“Of course I care about you, Ken,” Butters said as he lifted his head slightly with a small smile.  _Damn, not the reaction I was really looking for._ “Are you alright though?” he asked and his hand was suddenly pushing aside some of my hair to press against my forehead.  Something was tender in the spot he touched. “You have a mark on your forehead, here.”

“Ah, that happens sometimes after I come back.  There’s a wound sometimes.  When I fell off the scaffolding, I had a broken rib.  That was painful as hell,” I explained.  The soft fingers were dancing across my skin. “It’ll heal quickly.  Just like every other wound.  It’ll probably leave a mark though.”

“Like this mark?” Butters asked as his fingertips trailed across my face to stop on a scar that had formed on my chin.

“Well, I didn’t die that time, but it was made by an idiot trying to rob a corner store with a switchblade,” I explained.  The soft fingertips moved underneath my chin, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. “I got a little too close to the—.“ I stopped when his finger moved over a sensitive spot that made a lump instantly form in my throat.  I couldn’t help the small moan that left me.

“You alright?” Butters asked.  He moved his hand away but there was a soft, slightly vindictive smile on his face.

“You’ve always been so quiet and innocent, but you’ve got a bit of an evil streak in you, don’t you?” I asked, my arms crossed over my chest.

He shrugged his shoulders as his smile grew a bit.  I suddenly became painfully aware of how little space there was between us.  I wanted to reach out to grab him but there was that nagging voice in the back of my mind.  Stan’s voice.  _Stupid Stan._

“Look, we should—um—we should have that talk,” I said.  I hated the words as soon as they left my mouth, but Stan’s stupid little voice wouldn’t shut up.  Butters’ head tilted curiously.  His eyes were wide and bright staring at me with quiet wonder.  I suddenly felt nervous standing in front of him.  I cleared my throat loudly.  The words were sitting at the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t seem to say them.

“Kenny,” the familiar voice of Life echoed in my head. “Kenny, I think I’ve thought of an idea on how to locate Will.”

“Will?” I asked confusingly.

“Butters,” he said as he pointed to himself.

I shook my head and lifted my hand to tap my finger against my forehead. “Sorry, it’s Life.  He thinks he’s found a way to locate Will.  Who’s Will?” I asked.

“The fourth curse.  Will.  It makes sense.  Will is the opposite of Fate, just like Life and Death are opposites,” Life explained.

“Who is Will?” Butters pressed, his eyebrows narrowed together.

“Oh, right, you weren’t there,” I said in realization. “Last night, in the apartment building, just before I passed out we were confronted by the fourth curse who is apparently the opposite of Fate: Will.”

Butters’ eyes widened.  I didn’t think it was possible, but they did. “What?” he snapped. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Honestly?  I kind of forgot.  My head’s always a little fuzzy after I come back.  But, I also was kind of expecting it to be a hallucination.  I inhaled a lot of smoke last night,” I explained.

“It was not a hallucination,” Life assured me.

“Even if it wasn’t a hallucination, I didn’t get a good look at who it was.  It was a woman, but other than that, I’m at a loss,” I explained. “She doesn’t want us to find her.  She made that pretty clear.”

“Why would she show herself at all?  That makes no sense,” Butters said with a small shake of his head.

“I like him.  He’s smart,” Life spoke up.

I rolled my eyes. “Alright, calm down,” I muttered quietly.

“Jealous?” Life joked.

“Shut up.”

“Kenny?” Butters asked worriedly.

“Sorry, he’s being a pain again,” I replied.

“I may be a pain but I have a great idea,” Life explained with pride in his tone. “Do you want to hear my great idea or do you want to keep being an ass?”

“Is Death half as annoying as what I have to put up with?” I asked Butters who chuckled softly.

“No, he’s pretty quiet most of the time.  But he does think you two are complete idiots,” Butters explained teasingly.

“Screw you too, Death,” Life muttered.

I snickered. “Alright, we’re off track.  What is your idea?” I asked.

“Fate,” Life answered bluntly. “Fate is the way we get Will.”

“I feel like that’s really just a catch twenty-two,” I replied.  Butters’ eyebrow lifted quizzically. “Ah, he said we need Fate to get Will.”

“That—That actually makes sense,” Butters said.

“I—uh—I’m lost now,” I admitted.

Butters chuckled softly. “Think about it.  Life and Death, you and I, we’re connected.  We’re also connected to Wrath, but it’s different.  It’s hard to explain, but it’s different.  If we use the logic that the connection is because we’re the opposite to each other, then it makes sense that Fate and Will have the same sort of connection that we have.”

“You’re sexy when you’re smart,” I teased.

The tops of Butters’ cheeks pinked up.  He rubbed his knuckles together nervously. “Ken, focus,” he said and I heard the waiver in his voice.

“I’m focused,” I said, my hands on my hips as I smiled like an idiot.  I enjoyed making him nervous. “Keep talking.”

“Maybe if we can get close enough to Wrath, we can use him as a bridge to focus in on Will’s vessel,” Butters explained as he tried to keep his voice levelled.

“He’s definitely my favourite of Death’s vessels.  I might be in love with him.  Better watch out, Kenny,” Life teased from the depths of my mind.

I rolled my eyes again. “What’s he saying now?” Butters asked as he lifted his hand to tap his fingertip against my forehead.

“You can’t tell him, because if you tell him then you’ll have to admit how much you like him,” Life explained in a singsongy voice. “You can deny it, but remember, I’m in your head.  I live here.”

“I’m painfully aware,” I snapped in response.  Butters looked worried by my sudden outburst. “Sorry, nothing, he’s just being an idiot.”

“Maybe I’ll just take over and tell him for you,” Life threatened. “It’s not difficult.  It’ll only take a second.”

“Don’t you dare,” I hissed back as I lifted my hands to press the heels of my hands against my temples. “Ugh, go away.”

“Kenny, remember to focus,” Butters said as he placed his hands on the sides of my head. “You and Life have to be in constant balance with each other.  You can’t just let him completely take over.”

“It’s not exactly easy.  He’s making it very hard to focus,” I answered bitterly.

“If you two have any hope of fighting against Wrath with the upper hand, you have to focus,” Butters explained and flinched as if he felt a sharp pain in his head or something.

“That’s what I have you for,” I replied with as I grinned.

“I’m being serious, Kenny,” Butters said flatly.  The corner of his lips was lifted slightly like he was slightly amused but holding it back.

“So am I,” I answered.  My hand lifted to grab him by the chin.

“You can thank me later,” Life said smugly.

Life’s voice was mixed with the small, nagging voice of Stan into an incomprehensible jumble that I shoved to the back of my head.  There wasn’t much space between us, so closing what was left was easy.  Butters exhaled sharply.  His warm breath moved over my skin as lips almost touched.  I felt all of my nerves bundle up to sit in my stomach.

“Kenny!” Stan suddenly shouted from the living room. “Don’t you have work this morning?”

Everything froze.  The bundle of nerves shot up into my throat to get lodged there. “Shit,” I swore with a low groan. “I’ve got to go.”

“O—Okay,” Butters replied nervously.  I tilted my head slightly.

“You upset?” I asked.  Butters cleared his throat loudly as he shook his head. “You sure?  I can always call in sick, if you want.”

“No,” Butters answered as he turned his back to me.  I quickly reached out to grab his wrist to stop him.  His head quickly whipped back around.  His bright blue eyes stared up at me.

“Hang on, look, I still want to talk.  Not right now, because I really can’t be late for work again, but I want to talk,” I explained.

“We will,” he replied with a small smile. “We have lots of time.”

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

“How the hell do you manage to do this every single time?” Kyle snapped as he tossed the stapled pieces of paper back at Stan.  It was an assignment Stan started the night before it was due and received an eighty-three percent.  Nothing he hadn’t done before and it annoyed Kyle to no fucking end.

“Because I’m a wizard,” Stan replied with a low chuckle.

The library was quiet.  Most of the students had either gone home for the day or were in evening classes.  I stopped by after work to find Stan struggling to pack his books into his bag at the end of his final class.  We found Kyle in the library with Alex.  They were both working in silence but Stan and I pretended not to see their legs tangled up under the table before we sat down.

“I hate you,” Kyle growled as he sat back in his seat, his arms crossed stiffly over his chest.

“Ah, you love me, you’re just really shitty with expressing your feelings,” Stan joked with a wide smile.

Alex snickered without looking up from his textbook. “That’s an understatement,” he muttered quietly, but we all heard it. “Ow,” he snapped when Kyle jabbed his elbow against the taller boy’s side. “What?  I’m kidding,” he said with a smile as he reached over to brush his thumb against Kyle’s cheek. “What I meant to say is—no, that’s what I meant to say.”

Stan and I chuckled.  Kyle rolled his eyes as he smacked Alex’s hand away.  The brunet laughed. “If Kyle doesn’t marry him, I will,” I leaned over to whisper quietly to Stan who stifled his laughter.

Kyle glared across the table at us.  I cleared my throat loudly as I sat back in my seat. “Alright, I’m starving let’s get food,” Stan said as he stood up.

“When are you ever not hungry?” I looked up at him to ask.

He seemed to consider my question for a moment before he shrugged his shoulders. “Never, I guess,” he answered with a grin. “Alex, you pick a place this time.”

“Sorry Stan, I can’t.  I have to do my monthly father/son bonding dinner or else I can say goodbye to my college fund,” Alex explained.  Sometimes his jokes could be hard to tell if they were jokes because he was good at pretending, but I was pretty sure there was nothing fake about the bitter tone he had when he said that.

“Dude, what?  Would he really do that?” Stan asked worriedly.

Alex chuckled as he nodded. “Yeah, my dad is…complicated,” he answered as he gathered his books into his bag. “And trust me, that’s putting it mildly.”

“At least he’s not an alcoholic,” Stan said flatly.

“I second that,” I added.

Alex snickered softly as he nodded in agreement.  I picked up Stan’s bag as I stood.  Kyle and Alex walked extremely close to each other.  It took everything Stan and I had not to say anything.  They were getting noticeably closer and Kyle was becoming more open with them, but he still couldn’t say what it was that all of us already knew. “Are we bad friends?” Stan leaned over to ask me in a lowered voice.  I finally turned my attention away from Alex’s hand that reached over to gently brush his knuckles against the back of Kyle’s hand.

“Oh, we’re the absolute worst,” I answered quietly. “Like, if there’s an award for the worst friends known to man, we’d definitely be in the running at least.” Stan hummed as he nodded.  Alex pushed through the doors first to leave the building.  He held it open for all of us to pass through. “Why thank you.  Such a gentleman,” I added a Southern accent to say.  Alex chuckled.

I started to turn back in the direction Stan and Kyle were headed but I stopped.  My body froze.  The familiar flashy BMW caught my attention first before I noticed the license plate I had written down multiple times before.  My legs suddenly went numb. “You alright, Kenny?” Alex asked as he stepped up beside me.  The driver’s side door of the car swung open, blinding me when the setting sun reflected off the clean window.  Alex turned his attention towards the parking lot I was staring at. “Oh, shit.  I told him not to worry about coming to get me.  Any reason to flash his quarter million-dollar car off in front of the world, he’ll take it.”

My head quickly spun around.  My eyes were wide. “Alex, is your—?” I started to ask but stopped when I heard the bone chilling voice yell across the quad.

“Alexander!”

I turned my head back.  The suited man made his way across the quad to stop.  He removed his sunglasses to tuck them into the pocket of his jacket.  I couldn’t breathe. “Hello, dad,” Alex greeted the man with a dry tone. “Kenny, this is my dad, Phillip Marco.”

My throat was dry.  The man’s lips slowly curled up into an unsettling grin. “Kenny, I think you looked after my car, correct?” the man asked.

“What the hell?” Life snapped. “What is going on?  That’s Wrath!”

 _“Thank you, Captain Obvious,”_ I thought.

“Guys?” Kyle called out worriedly.

He and Stan stood a few feet down the path with equal looks of confusion on their faces. “More friends of yours, Alexander?” Phillip asked his son.

“Yeah, Stan and—um—Kyle,” Alex seemed nervous to say Kyle’s name but he managed to get through it.

“Really?” Phillip asked quizzically.  He lingered his gaze on me.  I had to fight back the urge to slam my fist into his smug looking face. “Well, it’s nice to meet both of you,” he said as he continued to turn so he could walk over to hold his hand out towards Kyle. “I’m Alexander’s father, Phillip.”

“Phillip,” Kyle repeated slowly like he was trying to understand what was being said to him. “Phillip Marco.” The realization hit hard as he slowly shook the man’s hand.

“You sound like you’ve heard of me.  Good, that will make this less awkward, especially since I know so much about you,” the man said to Kyle and I noticed my friend’s face flinch in pain slightly.  He tried to pull his hand out of the grip from Phillip with no success.

I took a step but Kyle noticed to lift his hand slightly with a small, dismissive wave.  I wanted to ignore it, but the clench in Kyle’s jaw along with the way his shoulders went rigid made me stop.  This wasn’t just Wrath, this was Alexander’s father.  This was a man Kyle had probably been terrified to meet for months, and now it was a hundred times more terrifying.

“Dad, enough.  Let’s just go,” Alex snapped sternly.

Tension lingered in the air created by the stiff connection between the older man and our red-headed friend.  Phillip finally let go of Kyle to take a step back and I think everyone took a simultaneous sigh of relief. “It’s nice to finally meet you boys.  I’m sorry to run like this, I’d love to get to know you all more, but Alexander and I rarely have time together with how busy I can get.  But we’ll be seeing each other again soon,” the man explained and turned to step up to me. “I can promise that.”

“Dad let’s go,” Alex snapped again.  Phillip flashed me a grin before he stepped around me to start back towards his car. “I’ll call you later,” Alex said to Kyle who nodded slowly before he followed his father across the quad.

“Kyle?” Stan finally spoke up when Alex and his father were gone.

“Alex is—,” Kyle started to say with disbelief.  He was watching the BMW pull away with wide eyes before he slowly lowered his gaze to the ground.

“He’s Dr. Wrath’s son,” I finished for him sternly.

“Kenny,” Stan suddenly said with his voice lowered as if he was warning me to keep my cool.  I slowly shifted my eyes to look over at Stan.  He was glowering at me.  His eyebrows furrowed together and eyes narrowed slightly.  I moved my eyes again to land on Kyle.  The expression he gave was not what I was expecting.  Pain and worry formed in his emerald eyes.  He couldn’t look up from the ground.  I had never seen him so devastated before.

I let out a heavy sigh as I lifted my hand to run my fingers through my hair. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Alex has no idea what his father actually is,” I explained and could see the expressions on both of my friends’ faces shift. “But we should still be careful.  We can’t come right out and ask, but we should make sure to pay attention.  Okay?” I asked to get a small nod from Kyle. “I refuse to believe that Alex is working with his father, at least until there’s proof.”

“So, what do we do now?” Stan asked in a low but steady voice.  He wasn’t hostile anymore, but there was worry there.  Worry for his friend.  Worry for the unknown.  The same worry I had.  I wanted to believe that Alex wasn’t involved.  He was a good guy from the moment we met him, and if it turned out he had been lying to us and was evil, right along with his father, it would destroy Kyle.  Hell, it would probably destroy all of us.

“We hurry up and end this.  No more screwing around.  No more delay.  We put an end to Wrath,” I answered.

It was time to end it all, one way or another.


	12. Forgive Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know, what the hell, right?
> 
> A fourth vessel out there. It's going to be impossible to find them, but I trust Life and Dorothy to know what they're doing. They're going to figure it out...and probably have me killed in the process.  
> Well, good thing I can't actually die!
> 
> I'm not sure why, but I feel like I'm missing something. Something important. It's there in the back of my mind, but I can't seem to remember.
> 
> Ugh, oh well. It'll come to me, I'm sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> I want to thank EVERYONE who has been so supportive of Soulmates! You guys are all the best and make me so damn happy every single time I see a comment or kudos! You are all the absolute best!!
> 
> I also want to apologize for dragging this story out but I wanted to make sure it wasn't rushed. I know there hasn't been a whole lot of Bunny moments but don't you worry, they are coming. Trust me, it's going to be all worth it!
> 
> Enjoy lovelies!

I stood in the middle of the hallway on the second level of the college where no one was around.  It was kind of weird how easily I could walk around the campus without being questioned and not even be a student.  I could go anywhere, even sit in on some lectures if I was quiet enough, and no one really cared.  Weird, right?  Anyways, I had struggled through my shift at work on little to no sleep.  It wasn’t like I wasn’t used to running on caffeine and faith, but what I wasn’t used to was that every time I closed my eyes I saw Dorothy.  She was haunting me, worst than Life.

**LBS:** Are you free tonight?  
**K²:** 4 u? of corse  
**LBS:** Great!  I need to work on my art project.  
**LBS:** There isn’t much time left.  
**K²:** ill stop by after work  
**LBS:** Actually, can you stop by the college?  
**LBS:** There’s more space and better lighting.  
**K²:** sur whateve u need  
**LBS:** Fantastic!  Room 208B.

“Room 208B,” I muttered quietly while staring down at my phone to read the messages between Butters and I when I was on my lunch break at work.  I let out a soft sigh as I lifted my head.  208B was engraved in a plaque above the door. “I can jump off rooftops no problem, but this makes me nervous?  Pathetic.”

“You have a bad habit of talking to yourself outside of doors,” Butters suddenly said and made me jump in surprise.  I quickly spun my head around.  He was standing in the middle of the hallway holding a saran wrapped sandwich in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. “You should watch yourself or someone’s going to catch you and have you shipped off to the looney bin.”

I scoffed loudly. “I wouldn’t go kicking and screaming.  I’d probably welcome it at this point in time,” I answered jokingly. “We’re not the most sane pair of people around here, that’s for sure.”

Butters made an agreeing noise as he nodded slowly. “Well, do you think you can be normal enough just until I finish my project?” he asked with an amused grin on his face.

“That depends on whether or not you keep smiling at me like that,” I responded teasingly.  Butters’ bright eyes rolled.  He walked over to place himself between me and the door with his back pressed against the smooth surface. “You’re still smiling.”

“What?  I can’t smile?” he asked.  His accent came back briefly in his words.  I hated how he grew out of it as he got older.  I loved his accent.  It wasn’t exotic but there was something about it that just made him…Butters. “What is it?”

I shoved my hands into the pockets of my sweater as I stepped forward.  Butters snapped his mouth shut.  Whether he was trying to hold back a breath or a noise, I couldn’t be sure.  He stiffened against the door. “I love…,” I said and paused myself.  I watched as Butters’ Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat, “…to make you uncomfortable.  It really is fun to watch you squirm.” Butters rolled his eyes.  The loud scoff he made blew warm breath over my face.  He turned his back to me.  I couldn’t help the wide, untameable smile that formed on my face. “Come on, don’t be mad, Buttercup.”

He opened the door to step inside.  It was wide with large windows along the far wall.  Easels and desks were scattered throughout the room.  Paintings and drawings lined the walls to cover every inch of the stale white underneath.  I entered the room and found my attention drawn to one easel in particular that had a large canvas perched on it.  I was quickly crossing the room towards it as Butters shut the door and sat down on top of a desk to open up his sandwich. “Butters, this is incredible.  It’s like looking in a mirror,” I explained.  The sketch was finished.  Butters moved to painting a few sessions before.  My face was done, but there was still a lot left to do.

“I just hope it gets me a good mark.  I didn’t do so well on the last assignment I had,” Butters explained.  I could hear the disappointment in his voice.  I turned my head to look over at him.  He was frowning down at his sandwich before he took a bite.

“What happened?” I asked as I stood up straighter and turned my body to face him.

“It was an essay.  I fell behind.  Lost track of time and wasn’t home a whole lot to do it so I ended up handing it in late,” he explained in a small, lowered voice.

I frowned. “Butters, is being Professor Chaos affecting your schoolwork?” I asked.  Butters stopped chewing.  His eyes lifted a bit but not enough to look at me.  It made sense, I just couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it before. “Maybe you should take a break in order to catch up.  Or until after your exams.”

Butters’ eyebrows furrowed together.  He finally looked up at me and the confused expression on his face was surprising. “And leave you alone to deal with Wrath?  I don’t think so,” he replied.

My smile was back.  I stepped up to stand so Butters’ knees were touching my thighs.  He swallowed whatever chewed up bit of sandwich he had in his mouth and stifled back a small cough.  His eyes were wide as he stared up at me. “You worried about me, Butters?  You do remember I’m immortal, right?” I asked.

“Not entirely,” he answered quickly and then looked confused, like the words caught him off guard.  It was entirely possible that Death had pushed through to say them.  He had a habit of cracking through at times to speak his mind.

“Well, hello Death.  Having fun eavesdropping?” I asked smugly.

Butters was looking off to the side.  Death was saying something.  Then he rolled his eyes and shoved his sandwich in his mouth.  I couldn’t help but laugh.  Even from the outside, I could practically hear the conversation they were having.  It would be something along the same lines as Life and I, only a lot less sarcastic and stupid as all hell.

“Well, you sit back and relax,” I spoke up as I unzipped my sweater to set it down beside Butters.  His eyebrow lifted quizzically as he munched on his food, “because I am going to draw you a masterpiece.”

I set my phone down with my sweater and walked over to the whiteboard which was the only white in the room.  I picked up one of the markers and cleared my throat loudly. “Are you going to draw dicks?” Butters asked. “Please, don’t draw dicks.”

“Hey, come on!  If that what’s his name who drew all those dicks on that church ceiling can be famous and respected, why can’t my dicks make me?” I turned around to ask.  Butters’ lips slowly turned up into a smile as he looked down at the half of his sandwich left. “Alright, now, back to the important things at hand here,” I said dramatically as I turned back to the board and started to draw.

I filled the board with as many crude drawings as I could make as Butters chewed at his sandwich.  I could feel his eyes against my back, watching me intently.  When I was finished, I clicked the lid back on and turned around, a proud smile on my face as I placed my hands on my sides.  Butters was admiring my work and his small smile was slowly growing. “Impressive, huh?”

“Every single one is different,” he explained matter-of-factly.

I nodded rapidly. “Because just like boobs, no two balls are the same, Butters,” I said as I walked back over to where he sat.

He shrugged his shoulders up to his ears. “I wouldn’t know on either of those accounts,” he replied and moved his eyes away from the board to look up at me.

I scoffed loudly. “I doubt that,” I said teasingly.  Butters shook his head as he shrugged his shoulders. “Hold on, wait.  I refuse to believe that you, dear Butters Stotch, are still a virgin.  You were literally in the city of love, and all those other places other than Russia.”

“Kenny, Russia’s not—,” Butters started to say but I cut him off with a finger pressed to his lips.

“You had your pick of men and women alike and you decided to pick the none of the above option of what could have been an epic answer to an essay question?” I asked loudly.  My voice was rising steadily.

Butters’ eyebrow stretched up on his face. “Do you have any idea what it is you’re talking about?” he asked with my finger still pressed to his face.

“Butters!” I shouted as I grabbed him by the arms. “You could have had hot orgies with foreign babes and you didn’t!  What is wrong with you?” I asked as I shook him gently.

“Well, um—,” he started nervously.  His knuckles rubbed together on his lap. “I didn’t want to.  I decided to pick the option that I left behind instead.”

I froze.  It suddenly became impossible to breathe.  I quickly moved my hands away to let them drop to my sides as Butters got up from the desk to walk around me. “Damn,” Life suddenly piped up in my head. “I didn’t think it was ever possible to shut you the hell up but he just did it in less characters than it takes to make a Tweet.”

My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. “You know what a Tweet is?  I don’t even really know what a Tweet is.”

“Pull up a chair, Kenny.  I need you close so I can get the colouring right here,” Butters ordered as if nothing was wrong.  As if he hadn’t just said what he said, like a sociopath.  He was a sociopath.  He had to be. “Kenny?  Come on.” I made a noise.  I had no fucking clue what it was, but it was a noise.  I pulled over a stool on wheels next to the easel.  Butters laughed. “Come on now, I don’t bite.”

He reached out to grab my hand and pulled me forward until his knee was between mine.  I kept my hands on my lap.  Butters was working out his paint colours.  He was turned away from me but was facing the window.  And holy shit was he ever born for the sun.  The way the light from it touched him was mesmerizing.  He glowed from his hair to his skin to his bright blue eyes.  He was art, and not the kind that was taped up to the walls in the classroom, but art that hung in museums that you knew you couldn’t touch, that you shouldn’t touch, but you just wanted to.  You wanted to feel the flaws because there was no way something could be so fucking perfect in this world.

“You’re staring,” Butters said and snapped me from my thoughts.

“I am not.  I’m sleeping with my eyes open,” I replied and made Butters smile.

He turned his head back to face me and then he started to paint.  I loved watching him paint.  I loved the silence that filled the air.  It was calming and let me focus just on him.  There was absolutely nothing else in the world when I was sitting there watching him.  The way his eyes moved over his work, his hands worked adeptly with precision in each stroke, and the way his shoulders would tense and then relax in a pattern like his muscles were dancing to a silent tune.  He let his gaze travel back to me and his head suddenly tilted.  Curiosity formed on his face as he moved his hand to let the dry end of his paintbrush press to the edge of my right eyebrow.

“I never noticed that scar before,” he mentioned.

I knew which scar he was talking about.  For the most part it was hidden under my eyebrow, but if you looked closely enough you could see the edge of it creeping towards my eye and the other edge disappear under my hair.

“That’s a bit upsetting considering you’re the one who made it when you had a trash can thrown at me,” I explained and put on a deep frown. “You scarred my beautiful face.”

Butters’ eyebrows lowered slightly unamusingly. “Kenny,” he said and tapped the edge of his brush under his left eye. “You threw a shuriken at me.  Remember that?  I think I have you beat.”

“I apologized about that!  Multiple times!  And I got you a hamster too,” I replied.

“It was a rat.  A very feral rat which killed two of my actual hamsters,” he explained.

There was a long drag of silence as Butters stared at the canvas in front of him.  His smile stretched wide across his face and then he started to laugh.  It wasn’t a small chuckle, but the full-blown laugh where he was holding his sides as he bent over.  It was a laugh that was completely, utterly Butters.  It took him everything he had to get himself to calm down as he brushed away the tears that formed in his eyes.  He turned his head to look over at me and tilted his head again.

“What?” he asked.  I was still staring.  I had to stare.

I slowly shook my head. “I wonder who the hell you are sometimes,” I said with my elbows on my thighs as I leaned forward slightly.

Butters exhaled sharply.  His head turned back to face his canvas so he could continue to paint. “In all honesty, I don’t know who I am.  I know who I want to be,” he explained and let his hand do slow, long strokes.  I could feel my smile slowly fade a bit as I listened to him. “I want to be brave and strong.  I want to help people.  I want to be happy.  I want to be the hero, but I keep failing.” He paused his hand.  I was watching him closely.  I could see him struggling, but he wasn’t letting his smile disappear. “Really, what I want above all else is I just want to be…me again.  I want to be who I was before all of this started, but that’s so contradicting because who I was could never help people and I wasn’t happy.  Not really happy.” He chuckled softly. “So really, I don’t know who I am.”

He lifted his hand after dipping his brush into some more paint but stopped before the hairs could touch the canvas.  He was shaking.  I could see it. “Butters, close your eyes,” I ordered.  He turned his head to give me a confused look with his eyebrows shifted together.  I smiled gently. “Come on, you trust me, right?  Just do it.”

He was hesitant, I could tell, but he let his eyes close.  I slowly stood and carefully brushed my fingertips against Butters’ cheeks.  I didn’t want to startle him so I moved slowly.  He responded by gently rocking his head back and forth against my touch.  I let my fingers travel further back so my palms could press to his cheeks and my fingertips nestled into the roots of his soft hair.  His head tilted back slightly at the guidance of my hands so I could lean down and press my lips against the flawed skin where his scar was.  The scar I made.  The mark I made on him.  His hands found their way to my sides.  I placed another soft kiss a little higher along his scar and then lower.  When I pulled away, Butters was smiling.  He slowly opened his eyes stare up at me.

“You be whoever the hell you want to be, Butters,” I said and sat back down on the stool as I let my hands fall from touching him. “I just hope whoever you choose will finally forgive me about the stupid ninja star and feral rat.”

Butters laughed and turned back to his canvas.  I watched his hand closely.  He wasn’t shaking.  I could let out the tense breath I was holding in.  I let him work in the silence again.  Unfortunately, my tiredness was catching up to me.  I wanted to sit there watching him but I couldn’t keep my heavy eyelids open.  I tried for as long as I possibly could until there was no fighting the inevitable.  My eyes closed and there she fucking was.

“Don’t you get tired of stalking me?” I snapped.

“You might think to watch your tongue, boy,” Dorothy responded bitterly.  I rolled my eyes. “I am here to help you.  To help everyone.  To end this god forsaken curse, or do you want to be stuck as a—oh, what do you call it—backseat driver?”

“Yeah, that’s it,” I replied with a small nod.

“Right, do you want to be stuck as a backseat driver for the rest of eternity?” Dorothy asked with her thin, nimble hands on her hips.

I frowned. “So even though you die, you don’t really, huh?  You just get jammed into another body to chirp nonsense into their ear?” I asked as I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Yes, and believe me, it is incredibly dry,” the woman replied bitterly.

“Alright, wait, hang on,” I said loudly as I lifted my hands in front of me. “Life’s curse is the curse of immortality, so how the hell did you die?  How did any one of Life’s vessels die?”

Dorothy stared at me with intense eyes.  Her back straightened as she inhaled slowly. “Immortal, to a point,” she said and I scowled at her. “There is one thing that can kill Life’s vessel.”

“Oh, well, please do tell.  I’m very interested to know what my one kryptonite is on this God’s green Earth,” I said sarcastically.

Dorothy exhaled sharply. “It’s—,” she started to say.

“Not important, is was it is,” Life suddenly said and stood so we were in a perfect triangle the same distance from each other. “What is important is finding the fourth vessel.”

I scoffed loudly. “How exactly?” I asked loudly. “She doesn’t want to be found.  She doesn’t want anything to do with what’s happening.  And I’m going to admit here, I think I have been a lot more bark than bite because I have no idea how to even start looking for her.”

“We have a plan on how to get the fourth vessel,” Life growled.

I let out a loud, sarcastic laugh. “Yeah, your plan is to use Wrath.  You want us to use the man who we are currently trying to hunt.  You do understand how completely ridiculous that is, right?  It’s fucking crazy.”

“You don’t need him, Kenny, you just need his energy,” Life replied sternly. “Remember when you touched Wrath at the garage and his energy clung to you?  Then you transferred it to Butters.”

“Yeah, of course I remember that.  I almost beat someone to death because of that stupid bastard,” I growled.

“You need to have that happen again.  Get close enough to steal some of his energy and then we can use it to locate the fourth vessel,” Life explained.

I stared at him with slightly narrowed eyes.  I know I purposefully sought out reasons to be mad with him just because I could.  I was even trying to find a reason in that moment, but I couldn’t find one.  His plan was batshit crazy, but the result was actually sound enough that attempting the whole thing might have been worth it.  I let out a long sigh as I tilted my head back. “Alright, yeah, we will attempt a suicide mission to try and get his energy.”

“Because it’s a fantastic idea and you’re a genius, Life,” he said in a mocking tone and then smiled wide.

I lifted my hand to flip him off but my eyes suddenly opened to the feeling of something cold and wet against my nose.  My eyebrows furrowed together and Butters was leaning back from me with his brush poised in his hand.

“Did you—?” I started to ask.

He quickly shook his head. “Absolutely not.  I would never,” he answered but couldn’t hide his wide grin.

We stared at each other for a moment and then both moved at the same time.  Butters was off his stool to run away as I dove to smack my hand down on whatever paint was left on his tray to cover my palm.  He used tables and chairs as blockades between us but it didn’t stop me.  He was laughing wildly as he ducked away from me, missing him as I swung for him at every opportunity.  It wasn’t until he was running towards the sinks that I vaulted over a table to finally catch him.  My clean hand grabbed his arm to whip him around so I could press my paint covered hand against his face.  My hand was firmly on his cheek with my thumb between his bottom lip and his chin.  He grimaced at the realization that half of his face was covered in multicoloured paint in the shape of a handprint.  I moved my hand away a bit to admire my handy work with a small smile.

“Ah, how beautiful,” I said smugly as I dragged out the words.

Butters and I were both panting from our chase of cat and mouse.  Heavy chests pressed against each other as they moved at different paces.  My heart was racing but there was an odd sensation.  A thumping feeling faster than my heart that echoed through my ribcage.  Then I realized, it was Butters’ heartbeat resonating through me.  His eyes moved back and forth between my eyes and then slowly travelled down my nose to land just underneath it.  I swallowed down whatever bundle of nerves was about to find its way to my throat and quickly moved forward to capture the plump, slightly parted lips against my own.  I started the kiss a bit rough but it softened as we found our bearings.  My hand was moved around the back of his head to bury into his soft hair as my other arm found its way around his waist to pull him closer.  I heard the paintbrush gently clatter into the sink before Butters’ hands moved up my sides to glide over my chest.  His arms wrapped around my neck to fit there perfectly.  We were pulled as close together as our bodies would let us.  Warmth radiated off both of us.  I was getting dizzy.  Lips moved slowly against each other.  We had done this before but every time it felt like new.  It was full of electricity and desire that we both held back for each other, but I wanted more.  I felt the soft, nimble fingers slide their way through my hair.  My scalp tingled everywhere he touched.  I felt the tiny sparks of energy flick off him to tease against my skin.

We disconnected for a moment to catch our breaths.  Hooded eyes moved as we tried to read each other for any sort of sign of uncertainty.  He wouldn’t find it in me and I couldn’t find it anywhere in him. “Kenny,” Butters suddenly breathed.  It was by far the most sensual damn thing I had heard in a long time and it was all I needed.

We kissed again, harder and sloppier than before.  Lips moved hungrily against each other.  Teeth gently bit down on my bottom lip, earning a small groan from my throat.  I ignored the blatantly proud expression on his face to lean forward and swept my tongue along his lips.  I was asking for entrance and man did I ever get it.  I was leaning forward slightly.  My body wanted more friction against him.  I shifted my leg without taking my attention off the rough feeling of the inside of Butters’ mouth that my tongue was taking care of learning each detail.  He suddenly disconnected with a heavy sigh when my thigh pressed between his legs.  The fingers in my hair tightened just enough to make my scalp sting where the roots were being tugged.  I noticed the shake in his legs against mine.

The arm I had around his waist tightened and he let out a small yelp as I lifted him off the floor to seat him on top of the small counter next to the sink.  We stayed connected wherever we could as I kissed him again.  It was a small peck that trailed away down his chin and onto his neck.  He let out a small sigh as I kissed and licked my way down the smooth, flawless skin in the column of his throat.  My actions were greatly rewarded as his body was pressing harder against mine.  I knew what he wanted.  He wanted more, but there was hesitation in the way his body moved.  There was a small shake in his hands and his legs that helped me keep my senses.  I couldn’t just jump him.  I had to go at his pace but push just past his level of comfortable every once in a while.

I suddenly became painfully aware of the fact that Butters’ legs were hooked around behind mine when he lifted one to drag it up the back of my thigh.  My hand quickly shot out to press against the wall to steady myself.  I wasn’t sure how, but that one movement made my knees want to buckle underneath me.  I continued to gently tease the skin along his neck, tilting my head to go for the other side.  Butters was squirming against me.  Soft panting breaths moved against my shoulder where he had his face buried to try to hide his quiet moans and sighs, but I could still hear them.  I could listen to them forever.

“Kenny,” Butter suddenly managed to say with breathless words.  I hummed in acknowledgement but didn’t stop. “Kenny, you—your ph—ngh,” he was saying but stopped when I gently bit down on the skin just above where his neck and his shoulder met. “Ah, Kenny, wait.”

I immediately let go at that.  I moved a bit to allow some space between us.  Butters’ arms loosened their hold around my neck.  He didn’t lean away as he tried to catch his breath. “What is it?” I asked as I gently ran my fingers through his hair.  Damn it was soft.

“Your phone, it’s ringing,” he finally managed to say.

My eyebrows furrowed together before I spun around to see the screen of my phone lit up from across the room.  The screen went dark for a moment and then lit up again from another phone call.  It was on silent so the ringer wouldn’t disturb Butters while he was working.  I did it every time we would get together for a session.  I let out a long, frustrated sigh and pushed away from the counter. “It better be good,” I muttered as I started to make my way across the room. “Someone better be dying or be dead or else whoever is calling is going to be.  Stupid son of a—Kyle, what’s up?”

I had the phone pressed to my ear. “Where the hell have you been?” Kyle suddenly shouted through the phone loudly. “I’ve been calling for the past ten minutes.  Where the fuck are you?”

“I’m at the college helping Butters with his assignment,” I answered.

“You’re with Butters?  Good, you two need to get to the 19th Street Bridge, now,” Kyle snapped.

“Why?  What’s going on?” I asked as I turned to face Butters.  His head was tilted slightly as he looked at me with curious eyes.  He was a mess.  Paint was smeared all over his face and the short hairs around the back of his head.  His lips were swollen and red.  His hair was a tangled mess that could easily be remedied by running his fingers through it.

“A gang has kidnapped a couple of people and took them to the bridge,” Kyle explained. “Kenny, it’s Wrath’s gang.”

My shoulders tensed and Butters noticed.  He was quickly off the counter to make his way over to me. “Kyle, get my uniform out.  I’ll be there soon.”

I hung up the phone and Butters was standing with his hand on my arm. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Wrath has hostages at the 19th Street Bridge.  We have to go, now,” I explained as I put on my sweater.

“You go ahead,” Butters said.

“What?  No, come with me,” I protested.

Butters shook his head. “There’s no time to debate.  You need to get there as soon as you can.  I’ll be right behind you, I promise,” he explained.  I wanted to protest again, but he was right, there was no time.

I raced to the bridge as fast as I could.  Standing on a rooftop nearby, I could see three gang members guarding the eight hostages, all with nooses hung loosely around their necks as they stood at the edges of the bridge looking down at the water beneath them.  Their hands and feet were bound to keep them in place.  There were no signs of Wrath.

“Where are you, you son of a bitch?” I muttered quietly to myself.  He was either not there or he was hiding.  It could have been a trap.  It was more than likely a trap, but there were also people only one wrong step from plummeting to their death.  There was no time to worry about a trap.  There was just no time.

“Well, look who’s here, boys,” one of the gang members said as I approached the end of the bridge.  I stopped with my toes barely touching where the ground met with metal. “Boss said you’d come.  You can’t help it, that’s what’s he said.”

“Where is he?” I snapped angrily.

“He’s here,” the man replied with a crooked smile.

“Yes, I wanted to have a conversation just between the two of us,” the familiar voice echoed and Wrath stepped out from behind a large metal pillar that obstructed my view from the rooftop.  It had been our first interaction since seeing him at the college.  I had to fight back every urge I had to beat him until my hand was broken.

“You could have called since that’s a thing now,” I growled through my anger.

“I would have expected you to have changed your information.  Going through the hassle of tracking you down again is a pain and isn’t nearly as fun as this,” Wrath explained with a small grin.

“I didn’t even bother changing it.  I knew you’d just find me again when you wanted to,” I replied dryly.

Wrath was moving across the bridge towards me.  The gang members were stepped back as their eyes shifted around.  They were on the lookout for anything. “So, you’re getting the hang of this then.  You understand how this works.  You will never get away from me.  I will always follow you, no matter what,” Wrath explained smugly.

“Not unless I kill you,” I growled.

He chuckled deeply. “Come on now, let’s not stir up that bullshit,” he replied, his arms crossed stiffly over his chest. “Instead, let’s get down to the real reason we’re here before we are interrupted.”

“Real reason?” I asked.

“I want the identity of your partner,” Wrath said and I could hear the slight anger in his tone.

“My partner?  Do you mean Chaos?” I asked curiously and scoffed.  I know the grin that formed on my face struck a nerve in Wrath because he twitched at the sigh of it. “You haven’t figured it out yet?”

“He’s proving difficult to me.  It seems as the current vessel is far more connected to Death than all of the others.  He’s been able to mask his energy from me quite well.  Unlike you,” he explained. “But I assume you’ve figured out his identity.”

“You know what people say about assuming,” I replied with a small smirk.

Wrath scoffed. “Cute,” he replied flatly.  I shrugged my shoulders. “Now, tell me who Chaos is.”

I shook my head rapidly. “No.  I don’t think so,” I replied stubbornly.

Wrath sighed.  He snapped his fingers over his shoulder and one of the gang members approached the nearest captive to grab them by the shoulders and held them dangerously over the edge.  The man screamed in terror. “Do you understand the gravity of the situation now?” Wrath snapped.

My heart was racing in my chest.  I had to think.  Eight captives, three gang members, and one super human psycho all against me.  I was bad at math, but I knew that wouldn’t add up well.  Someone was going to get hurt.  It was up to me to decide who it was though.  “Tell me who Chaos is!” Wrath screamed.  It was the first I ever saw him release his strangled hold on control.  There was something about not knowing who Chaos really was that had Wrath in a frenzy.

“Let him go,” I growled back at him.

“This is not a negotiation.  It’s fucking blackmail, kid.  Now, tell me who Chaos is or all of these people die one by one and it won’t be a quick and painless death either.  They will suffer,” he snapped back at me.

I scoffed as I shook my head. “Wow, what must your son think of you?” I asked judgingly.  I only had one tactic to my advantage over Wrath, and that was my ability to drive people absolutely insane with my idiotic banter.

Wrath laughed.  It was a deep, rumbling laugh that made my skin crawl. “You think my son could stomach this?  He would never be able to comprehend any of this.”

That made my stomach drop.  Unless Wrath was lying, Alex didn’t know.  He had no idea who his father really was.  We were so worried, and it was all over nothing. “He…doesn’t know?” I asked in a low voice.

“Of course he doesn’t know.  That boy has been a disappointment to me since the day he was born.  I wouldn’t—,” Wrath was saying but stopped suddenly as a loud crackling and popping sound echoed through the air and the gang members let out simultaneous shouts of pain before their unconscious bodies fell to the ground.  Wrath quickly spun around.  Standing at the far end of the bridge was Chaos.  His violet electricity swam around his hands and even travelled up to his elbows before dipping back down to zap at his fingers.

“Sorry I’m late, traffic was bad,” he said with a smug grin on his face.

It was such a different grin between Chaos and Butters.  Butters was soft and sweet.  Innocent and caring.  Chaos was bold, like he was always daring you to make the first move.  I saw Chaos sometimes when I was with Butters.  It would crack through his innocent façade at random moments.

“You’re just in time,” Wrath replied.

The ground vibrated underneath my feet.  Black ribbons of energy formed from Wrath’s shoulders and back in long strands.  Wrath lifted his hand to face his palm at Chaos.  I opened my mouth to shout but it was too late.  Chaos’ body was lifted from the ground and he was flung backwards to slam against the sidewalk before he rolled onto the grass.  I was racing across the bridge.  I had no idea when I started moving, but I was charging as fast as I could go towards Wrath.  I swung my arm to hit him but it stopped midair and my legs were knocked out from underneath me.  I slammed against the bridge hard and I felt as if I was being weighed down by a large boulder on my back.

“Stay there a moment.  This won’t take long,” Wrath said and started to move to where Chaos still laid not moving.

“Kenny,” Life said in a warning tone.

“I’m working on it,” I snapped in response.  I was trying to get myself up but the weight on my back was heavy.

“You have to get up, now,” Life continued to say.

“I’m aware, so either help or shut up,” I growled back.

Chaos was moving but barely.  I continued to strain against the force when Life spoke up again. “Come on, Kenny, you’re stronger than this.  You’re stronger than Wrath!  Focus!” he shouted.

Focus.  Focus on—

Him.

Wrath pushed him onto his back.  He pressed his foot into Chaos’ throat and I felt the rush again.  The rush of energy that coursed through my body to build up in my arm.  The weight was still pressed against my back but I managed to push myself up to my feet and charged across the bridge.  Chaos was struggling against the pressure against his throat.  His electricity was sparking from his fingertips but Wrath was using his abilities to keep his limbs pinned to the ground.  Wrath slowly lowered himself to a crouch and reached out for Chaos’ mask.  My energy pushed me forward and I leapt off the ground to tackle Wrath.  Chaos gasped loudly for air as Wrath and I tumbled away.  I was on my feet first to place myself in between them with my back facing Chaos.  Wrath was laughing as he pushed himself to his feet.  Somehow during our collision on the grass, Wrath had been cut along his left cheek to make blood drip down from his chin.

“No matter what lifetime, I will find you,” Wrath said.  The words resonated through my head, sparking a memory deep inside.  The thought of it made me disoriented for a moment.  I flinched from the sharp pain that suddenly formed in my stomach.  It felt like I was being stabbed just below my ribs. “Don’t you tire of this game we play, Life?” Wrath shouted. “Don’t you tire of hiding behind your vessels?  You have lived in fear for centuries.  Have you not had enough?  Why do you hold back?”

“Kenny, you need his energy,” Life suddenly spoke up and I heard the small shake in his voice.

“How the hell am I going to get close enough?” I replied in a low hiss.  Silence. “He’ll have me in the ground before I can even get close enough to—.”

“Kenny,” Life interrupted. “I have not been completely truthful with you.”

“What do you—?” I started to ask again but stopped again when I felt a heavy push against my chest and I was pinned back against something, but yet I didn’t move at all.  It was a strange sensation.  I could still see but the edges of my vision was blurred and I was completely disconnected from the rest of my body. “What the hell?” I asked and my words echoed around me.

“Don’t let me kill him,” Life said and his voice sounded the way my voice should have.  It clicked in my head.  I was no longer in control.  Life had taken over and I was nothing but a backseat driver to my own body.

“Wait, Life.  What are you going to do?” I asked and felt the energy rush through again.  It was more controlled, like it was being guided into my shoulders and back.  It covered my arms in tiny heatless flames and out from my shoulder blades in large gold wings that stretched out before furling in behind me. “Holy shit!  Are those wings?  Do I have wings?”

“Don’t get too excited,” Life replied in a flat tone.

Wrath threw his head back to chuckle loudly. “Finally!” he shouted loudly.

“Life!  What the hell are you doing?” I shouted.

“Just remember, don’t let me kill him,” Life said and before I could reply he suddenly launched forward.  The rush of controlled energy made my mind flip.  He was fast, like, inhumanly fast.  His feet barely touched the ground as he charged at Wrath.  The first connection of Life’s energy covered fist against Wrath’s energy made barrier was a small explosion that burnt the ground between their feet as they both stumbled back.  I felt the energy vibrate in my uncontrollable arms.

Life, barely catching his breath, shifted his foot back slightly to launch himself again.  He was attacking Wrath with an onslaught of energy covered punches that wore down the barrier between them.  Each blow created a larger crack through the solid, dark energy.  There was something mesmerizing and yet terrifying about Life’s energy.  It was unlike anything I had ever felt.  It was the real power he had that he had been hiding from me.  The power I failed to harness.

The barrier finally shattered and Wrath collapsed to his knees.  Life took a few steps back as he panted heavily. “Have you had enough?” he asked in a low, menacing growl.  It was startling.  He was usually chipper and obnoxiously positive, but in that moment there was a darkness to him.  I couldn’t be sure at all which side of him was the real him. “Because I haven’t.”

Life stepped forward again.  His hand still wrapped in his energy went to Wrath’s throat to pick him up.  He choked loudly as he was held onto his toes.  His fingers dug painfully into the flesh of my gloved hand I didn’t have control over, but I still had sensation in. “Life,” I said in a low voice and flinched as a fingernail dug into what I could only assume was a split open knuckle.  Life wasn’t letting go and Wrath was getting dangerously close to having his eyes roll into the back of his head.

“Kenny!” I suddenly heard Chaos shout.

“Kenny’s incapacitated at the moment,” Life shouted back in a lower growl than before.

I heard footsteps approached from behind.  A hand gently touched the arm that held on to Wrath. “Life, you have to let go of him.  We can’t end him, not yet.  It won’t stop if you do,” Chaos said and there was no glow to his eyes.  It was Butters speaking. “The cycle will only continue.”

“I want him dead too, but we need him to stay alive so we can figure out how to stop the curse,” I said. “We need him in order to find Will.”

“He has hurt thousands of people,” Life snapped and there was something familiar about how he sounded.  He had my voice, but the desperation inside it was exactly what I felt every time something happened and I was completely powerless.  When Stan and Kyle were hurt.  When Wrath called me after the building fire.  The desperation and anger was there inside me, but it wasn’t all me.  It was Life too.  I hadn’t noticed it before, but we were sharing our emotions and he was struggling just as much as I was.

“And he’ll hurt thousands more if we don’t put an end to this.  But we can’t do that if we end up triggering his reincarnation again.  We need him alive until we can figure this out,” Chaos explained.

I could feel Life waiver.  His hold was about to loosen when Wrath suddenly let out a hoarse chuckle. “You really think you can stop this curse?” he managed through strangled breath. “There is no stopping it.  You will suffer at the hands of Death forever.”

“Enough!” Chaos snapped.  Life’s other hand grabbed the front of his shirt to keep him at a distance when he started to move. “Life, stop it!  That’s enough!” Chaos snapped as he tried to get out of the hold Life had on him as there was an unfamiliar deep grumble to his voice.  His eyes were glowing again, which meant Death was coming forward.

“Death will continue to take those you care about.  The vessels you bond with.  The people you come across in every lifetime who you love and trust.  They will all be taken, but you will continue.  That is the truest form of suffering.  To helplessly watch everyone else die while you live on forever.”

Wrath was intentionally digging at Life.  The wide, proud grin on his face was a dead giveaway.  Life’s hand tightened and Wrath’s windpipe was completely closed.  Chaos continued to fight against Life’s hold on his but he couldn’t get free.

“Life!  Don’t do this.  We need him alive or we’ll have to wait another hundred years,” Chaos explained with his lowered voice.

“Listen to him, Life!” I shouted. “Let him go,” I said but Life didn’t respond.  He was unreachable.  His hold was still tight around Wrath’s neck which meant he only had seconds.

“Life!” Chaos yelled again.

“Do not get in my way!” Life shouted back.  He released his hold on Chaos and connected the back of my gloved hand with his cheek.  The impact combined with the strong energy to instantly knock Chaos to the ground.

I felt the energy rev up in my chest. “Enough!” I screamed.  I suddenly snapped forward and was in control again.  It took me a moment to realize what had happened before I could loosen my grip on Wrath’s neck without letting go.  The man gasped loudly for air and I took the opportunity he gave to press my free hand against his chest.  The sharp pinprick feeling in my hand made me want to flinch away but I couldn’t stop, not until I had what I needed.  I could feel the energy radiating from the middle of his chest, right in the same spot inside me.  I could feel my energy making its way through him to grab onto the ball of energy.  The moment our energy connected, it exploded and the force was enough to knock me back unconscious before I even hit the ground.

Everything spun.  I couldn’t get my bearings on what was up or down.  It was like I was spinning out of control, completely weightless.  When my feet finally touched solid ground I stumbled forward from the force of my free fall to land on my hands and knees.  The impact should have hurt.  I should have felt it, but I didn’t inside my head where I always met Life and Dorothy.

“Here, let me help you up.”

I let my gaze travel up the offered hand to Life standing in front of me.  He still wore my face, but it was changing.  His cheeks were becoming narrower and his hair darker.  He still had the same cerulean eyes I had and the freckles across his nose and the tops of his cheeks.  I scowled.  Anger came to me as my attention was taken away from his changing features to the reason I was there.  I smacked his hand away and he flinched like it hurt, but I knew it didn’t.

“What the hell were you thinking?” I snapped as I stood and stepped into his space. “You could have killed Wrath.  You could have hurt Butters!”

“I know,” Life said with his hands raised slightly in surrender. “I know, Kenny.  I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?  That’s all you have to say?  Are you—Are you kidding me?  You son of a—!” I was screaming but stopped when scattered memories overlapped in my head.

_“No matter what lifetime,”_ the words echoed through my head.  The sharp pain in my stomach, just below my ribcage, returned, _“I will find you.”_ My vision blurred between Life and me looking down at my own blood covered hands with a knife sticking out from my stomach where the pain came from. _“I promise.  I will find you.  Just please, forgive me.”_

I was breathing heavily.  My vision continued to fade between Life and the memory that clouded my mind.  The memory was moving and looking up to face glowing violet eyes.  Just as I was understanding, the memory disappeared and I clutched onto the front of my shirt over where my heart was racing in my chest.

“Kenny—,” Life started but I lifted my hand to stop him.

“Stop,” I snapped in response. “Just—Just fucking stop,” I growled and Life frowned. “I don’t know why you all think you need to lie to me.  Like you think I’m going to fall apart if I knew the truth or something.  Like you all think I’m fucking fragile or something.  I’m not stupid.  I understand what’s at stake here and what’s going on.  So just fucking stop!”

“Kenny!” Life’s voice rose slightly to say.

“Stop!”

My eyes opened and I was staring up at the starry filled sky above.  My body was sore but my head was resting on something comfortable as fingers gently ran through my hair. “Kenny?” Butters’ familiar voice asked as he tilted his head forward to lean over me.  My head was resting on his lap.  He wasn’t wearing his mask which made the large bruise on the left side of his face easy to see along with his split lip. “Good, I was starting to worry,” he said with a small sigh of relief as his expression relaxed.

“Where’s Wrath?” I asked.  I wanted to ask him how he was, but the question slipped through unexpectedly.

“I’m not sure.  I was unconscious from the hit from Life.  When I woke up, you were unconscious and Wrath was gone,” Butters explained and smiled. “What a ride, huh?”

“Butters,” I said flatly and his smile slowly disappeared from his face. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth?” I asked as I slowly sat up to turn my body to face him. “There’s only one thing that can actually kill me, and you knew all along what it was.” Butters’ expression fell into deep dark shame.  He turned his head to look away but I quickly reached out to put my hand on his cheek to stop him. “I’m not mad.  I’m…done being mad.  But why didn’t you tell me that the only thing that can kill me is you.” Butters pinched his lips together tightly.  He adverted his watery blue eyes from me as he nervously rubbed his hands together. “It makes sense.  The only time I really felt intense pain was when your electricity hit me during the fight with Wrath.  But I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me.

“Cause I—,” he started quickly but stopped himself when his voice shook.  I didn’t move my hand from his cheek as I let my thumb gently stroke under his eye. “I was scared.  I—I knew before I knew you were Mysterion, but when I did find out who you were, it scared me,” he explained.  His voice shook a few times through his words but he managed to get through it. “I’m dangerous to you.  If you knew—I thought you’d tell me to go away again.  I know I should stay away because I could end up hurting you, but I couldn’t—I—I couldn’t—ugh—.”

“Butters, stop,” I said in a low voice.  He was starting to cry.  The tears that sat in his wide eyes slowly fell down his cheeks.  He was sniffling heavily through shaky breaths.  I gently shushed him as I shifted closer to him.  My other hand touched his cheek as I leaned forward to press our foreheads together.

“I’m sorry, Kenny.  Forgive me,” he begged through his soft sobs.

“I forgive you, Butters,” I whispered in a low voice and ran my thumbs along his cheeks. “I’ll always forgive you.  No matter what you do, I’ll always forgive you.”

Butters let out a small noise as he closed his eyes.  I moved away from him slightly to admire the small smile he was trying to pinch back when I noticed the strange energy flickering off my hand. “Whoa,” I said and moved away from Butters.  My hands released from his cheeks so I could hold them between us. “Check it out.”

Butters opened his eyes and they immediately widened.  The gold energy I was used to came off me like flames but faded to the black edges. “Kenny, you got Wrath’s energy,” Butters said with a wide smile.  He was back.  The sun was back and no matter how many times my mother told me not to stare at it or I’d risk going blind, I couldn’t look away from him.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

“I’m sorry, can you say that again?” Kyle asked.  He was standing next to Stan who was cooking but was facing me while I sat on the counter munching on crackers.  I had been incredibly hungry for three days, like more than usual.  I also had an endless surplus of energy.  I would sleep for only a few hours, like two or three tops, and then wake up to the sound of my alarm wide awake and ready to go.  Death’s guess was that Wrath’s energy was sending me into overdrive.  I wanted to use it immediately to find the fourth vessel but Butters had a point that we both needed to rest after both been knocked unconscious.  I suggested staying over at his place.  He said no.  _And he calls me the fuddy duddy._

We had gone out three nights after that to try to track down the fourth vessel, but there was one problem.  Life.  He vanished on me but I needed him to help me control the foreign energy inside me.  Every time I tried, I almost killed myself from the overload.  I could feel him inside though.  He was there when I needed him and he had a strong hold on Wrath’s energy to keep it from making me berserk like the time I almost beat the gang member at the Vault to death.  Despite that, he was refusing to talk.  I wasn’t doing much talking back, but he had gone completely radio silent on me.  I should have enjoyed the silence but I kind of missed the annoying bastard.

“What?” I said through a mouth full of chewed up cracker. “Butters and I are taking a night off from the crime fighting so we can all hang out.  We’re going to have dinner and then go out.”

“We’re going back to the Vault,” Stan spoke up with a wide, crooked grin.

Kyle’s expression was twisted into confusion and even some suspicion.  He had a right to be suspicious.  There was a reason behind the uncharacteristic change in plans.  Except for the occasional night I would be too injured to go out, I hadn’t taken a night off from being Mysterion since I first put on the costume.  But in that moment, it wasn’t about me.  It wasn’t about Mysterion.  It was about Kyle and his stubborn ass ruining the one good thing he had.

“Is there a birthday I’m forgetting about?” Kyle asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

I shook my head. “Nope.  Just thought it would be a good idea to go out,” I answered with a muffled voice through my mouth full of food.

“You do know how suspicious this seems, right?” Kyle asked bluntly.

I shrugged my shoulders and lifted the box up to my face to look inside at the lack of snacks inside.  Stan turned away from the stove to snatch it from my hands.  Before I could protest, he pointed his finger at me and said, “No, you’ll ruin your appetite and this shit is delicious.” A knock on the door caught my attention.  Stan turned from the stove to ignore me flipping him off. “I’ll get it.”

“Ass,” I hissed and he flipped the middle finger back at me as he left the kitchen to make his way to the door.

“Okay, seriously, is there something I should know?” Kyle asked.  His arms were tighter across his chest as he knitted his eyebrows together.  I didn’t respond.  I just grinned as I heard the main door open and listened to the voices.  Stan spoke first, followed by Butters, and then the third voice that made Kyle’s eyes widen. “You son of a bitch,” he growled and started to storm out of the room. “I’m leaving.  I can’t believe—,” he was spouting angrily but stopped when I caught up to him to grab him by the arm.

“Nuh uh, come here.  I knew you were going to be like this,” I snapped.  I pulled him along behind me until we were in my room.  I pushed the door closed to leave a small crack and then turned to face my red-headed friend.  He was furious and not trying to hide it at all. “You aren’t going anywhere.”

“I’m not staying here with him,” Kyle snapped back at me.

“Why?  Because he’s Wrath’s son?” I asked in response.

“Yes, have you forgotten who Wrath is?  He’s the man who put Stan in the hospital.  He’s the one who hired his goons to beat the shit out of me and he’s also the man who has attacked you and other innocent people on multiple occasions,” Kyle explained bitterly.

I rolled my eyes. “Yes Kyle, I remember,” I replied mockingly. “You know what else I remember?  Alex wasn’t a part of any of that.  He doesn’t even know who his father really is,” I explained trying to keep my voice steady through my worked up energy.  The slightest change in my mood made it almost impossible to control Wrath’s energy.

Kyle scoffed loudly. “You’re honestly going to tell me that he has no idea?  How could he possibly have no idea?” he asked.

“Because his father is a scumbag and he wants nothing to do with him,” I snapped back, keeping my voice lowered. “You’ve heard the way Alex has talked about his father.  He can’t stand the man,” I explained but Kyle rolled his eyes.  I groaned loudly in frustration.  I wanted to beat that stubbornness right out of him. “Alright, fine.  If you don’t want to believe that, then believe this.  The one thing I know about him above all else, the one thing he can’t fake, is how he feels about you.  He’s totally and completely in love with you, Kyle,” I told him.  His jaw twitched as he turned to look away from me. “You can act like a stubborn ass all you want, but I know how you feel about him too.  I know you don’t want to admit it, but you fell in love with him, Kyle.  You fell in love and it’s killing you that you did because you didn’t see it.  You’ve always been five steps ahead of everyone.  You’ve always let your head lead you, not your heart.  But you did with him, and he turned out to be the son of the enemy,” I paused to step towards Kyle.  His body went rigid as he glared up at me.  I jabbed a finger into his chest as I continued. “Now you’re going to close your heart off, go back to being the cold robot you were, and never love again.  Right?  That’s the plan?”

“I—,” he started to say but I didn’t let him continue.

“That’s stupid.  You didn’t know he was Wrath’s son.  Fuck, he doesn’t even know he’s Wrath’s son.  Actually, screw all that.  He’s got nothing to do with that.  He isn’t Wrath’s son.  Just like I’m not Mysterion and Butters isn’t Professor Chaos.  Not tonight.  Not when we’re all together,” I said and my hands clamped down on Kyle’s shoulders to squeeze tightly. “Don’t let this destroy you, Kyle.  What was it that you said?  You can scream and cry and lash out but I’m still going to be right here because I’m your friend.  And as your friend, I’m telling you that you’re allowed to be happy.  You’re allowed to want him.  It’s okay.”

There was a long break of silence.  I couldn’t be sure any of what I said actually made it inside his thick skull.  Kyle was still frowning at me as he leaned forward to press his forehead against my chest.  I froze at first but then laughed lightly as I gently patted his shoulders. “Shut up,” he growled into my chest.

“I didn’t say anything, for once,” I replied defensively.

“You were thinking it,” he said dryly and I couldn’t help but laugh again.

The door unexpectedly swung open and Butters stopped in the doorway, his eyes wide with worry.  Kyle didn’t move as I turned my head to look over at him with a wide grin. “Well hey,” I greeted him cheerfully.

“Am I—uh—interrupting?” he asked curiously.  Maybe even a little jealous.

Kyle cleared his throat loudly as he stood wiping his eyes roughly with the backs of his hands.  He shook his head rapidly. “No, it’s okay,” he answered.

“Kyle’s just being a crybaby,” I said and grunted when the sharp point of Kyle’s elbow met with my stomach.  Butters laughed.  Kyle squeezed by him to leave the room and it was just the two of us as I stood with my hands shoved into the pockets of my jeans and he held his hands together behind his back.  Silence loomed in the air but it was peaceful.  It was always peaceful.  I enjoyed the silence with him, to a point. “Thank you, for getting Alex.”

Butters nodded enthusiastically. “Of course,” he answered. “Anything for Kyle.”

I nodded slowly but couldn’t get myself to speak.  I knew what I wanted to say.  It was all there, clear in my head, but I could never get my mouth to wrap around the words.  Butters was about to turn to leave and I felt something leap from my throat.

“We’re going to the Vault,” I said quickly and cleared my throat loudly. “You’re coming, right?”

Butters’ head tilted slightly.  He looked confused. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?  With—you know—your energy,” he brought up.

He had a point.  I was finding it a challenge to keep the energy inside me under control but there was a tight bind on it.  I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.  If you go, that is.  I’ll need the help focusing,” I said and couldn’t help the smug grin that formed on my face.

Butters chuckled. “Yeah, I’ll come.  It’ll be fun,” he answered.

The words were right there.  Right there!  _Just say them, idiot!_   But I didn’t.  Butters flashed me his bright, heart melting, turning knees into jello, smile before he left the room and I had to force my breath out of my chest.  Voices overlapped from the kitchen before Stan’s laughter could be heard deep and bellowing.  I was about to leave to join everyone but stopped myself in the doorway.  I had to try one more time.  I let my fingers tap against the doorframe as I lowered my head.

“Come on, Life, I know you’re there,” I whispered in a low voice and lifted my other hand to tap my fingers against the centre of my chest. “You’re right there, but why aren’t you saying anything?  I told you I was sorry for snapping at you, even if you were being an ass.  What else do you want?” I paused to wait for a response but there was none.  I let out a soft sigh as I lifted my hand to run my fingers through my hair. “I miss you, buddy.  Please, just let me know you’re alright.”

There was still no response.  I slowly shook my head and finally left the room.  Everyone was standing in the kitchen as Stan was finishing dinner.  I stood next to Butters as he sipped at a can of soda and across the kitchen Kyle shifted closer to Alex until they were pressed together.  Alex looked surprised and then smiled.  He was a non-stop mess while Kyle was ignoring him and there wasn’t anything Stan and I could do.  We couldn’t tell him the truth but we also couldn’t bring ourselves to lie to him.  So, we just fixed the problem.  Friends of the year, first place winners.

“Basic math, Stan, that’s all it is,” Kyle said and Stan mocked him in an incoherent, high-pitched voice.

I chuckled lightly and suddenly felt something brush against my hand.  When I looked down, I saw it was Butters gently reaching his fingers out to brush against the back of my palm.  Tiny sparks of electricity flickered across my skin and made my spine shiver.

“Shut up, I know what I’m doing,” Stan snapped back.

Kyle shook his head. “He doesn’t know what he’s doing,” he muttered quietly to Alex who snickered.

I slowly moved my hand as I shifted my body a bit to stand closer to Butters.  Our fingers danced against each other to find their way to interlock between each other.  I couldn’t help but run my thumb over the back of his hand where it was the softest.

“Shut up!  You can cook next time!” Stan shouted angrily.

There was small tension in the air between Kyle and Alex that was apparent during silent spots at dinner, but neither of them reacted.  Kyle was too stubborn and I was pretty Alex was just happy to be near him again.  Once the sun was down and we were all full, we all managed to pile into my car to head towards the Vault.  Stan almost backed out using his arm as an excuse but we managed to talk him into going when we suggested he could use the sympathy card.

“A pity lay, it works every time and you don’t have to do a thing,” I said which prompted a sharp jab to the stomach by Kyle as Butters giggled.

We arrived at the club and the familiar house music could be heard through the walls from outside.  The last time I had been there, it hadn’t gone over well and the thought was making me nervous.  I could feel my energy spiking again as I stared up at the rooftops.  I should have been up there.  I was getting anxious. I should have been patrolling.  Taking the night off was a bad idea.

“Kenny,” Butters spoke up and I felt a cold hand grab onto mine.  My attention immediately snapped to him. “One night, and then we go back.”

That was the deal.  We had one night to do something other than rooftop hopping and then after that we wouldn’t stop until we found Wrath.  He had gone cold.  He and his gang were quiet.  Even Alex talked about how his father, Phillip, wasn’t messaging him back.  That made me worried which made my energy start to spike again.

“I’m kind of excited to be back here,” Butters said, tearing my mind from the racing thoughts in my mind.  We were standing in the line to get in.  There were two girls in front of our group with Kyle and Alex in the front, Stan directly behind them, and Butters and I at the back.  The bouncer checked the girls and then let them in. “Hopefully this time will be a lot more fun.”

I hummed as I nodded but stopped abruptly. “Wait, you’ve been here?” I asked curiously as I turned to face him.  The bouncer was checking Kyle and Alex.

Butters nodded. “Yep,” he answered.  Kyle and Alex were let inside. “It was fun, but really loud and not a whole lot to do when you come here alone.”

Stan stepped up to be checked next. “Wait, how long ago was it that you were here?” I asked.

Stan was let inside.  Butters stepped up next to hand the bouncer his ID. “I guess it was over a year ago.  Maybe like two years.  I’m not entirely sure,” he said as he twisted his expression in thought. “What I do remember is that when I was here I suddenly remembered it was Kyle’s birthday and I had wished I could tell him.”

“You’re good to go,” the bouncer said in a low voice as he handed Butters back his card.  I was a frozen statue.  Thoughts ran wild in my mind trying to piece together the thoughts.  _It fucking was him._ “Hey,” the bouncer snapped me out of my thoughts. “If you wanna get in, you gotta show the ID.”

“Ah!  Yeah!” I yelled and quickly fished out my wallet.

Once we were inside, we managed to find an empty booth that could seat all of us comfortably.  The entire interior was black light.  White and colour lit up like neon.  I took note of how Kyle’s hair looked a lot like the physical manifestation of my energy and Butters’ was bright like the sun.  Alex leaned over to whisper something to Kyle which earned a small smile before he nodded.  Then the taller was up and leaving the booth.

“Where is he going?” I leaned over the table to yell over the music.

“Drinks,” Kyle answered.

“Yay!  Drinks!” Stan cheered loudly.

I chuckled as I leaned back against the seat.  My arms stretched out along the top of the bench seat and one of my hands accidentally brushed against Butters’ soft hair.  I had the sudden urge to bury my hands in his soft strands but fought against it.  Alex returned moments later with a tray of shots.  Two for each person.  He handed them out and I wasted no time reaching for one when a hand quickly shot out to grab my wrist.  My head quickly turned, my eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.  It was Butters who had a hold of me.  His eyes were wide and unblinking.  Worry, and I knew exactly why.

“What’s wrong?” Alex shouted.

“Uh, well,” Butters said as he let go of my wrist and turned to face Alex. “Kenny’s driving us.  The DD should stay sober.”

“This place doesn’t care if you leave your car for the night.  We can get a cab home,” Kyle explained.

Butters tapped his fingers against the table nervously. “He’s right,” I spoke up to earn everyone’s attention. “I’d rather not drink tonight anyways.  It’ll be fun to be the sober one and see you all make fools out of yourselves.”

Kyle still looked suspicious but everyone else dropped it.  Especially Stan who picked up both of my shots to put one in front of himself and the other in front of Butters. “Alright Butters, let’s see what you got.”

“I—I’m not much of a drinker,” Butters replied nervously.

Stan grinned smugly. “Perfect!  That’ll make this way more fun,” he answered and then knocked back a shot.  He turned the glass upside down and gestured towards Butters. “Alright, let’s go.  You’re next.”

Butters stared down at the three shot glasses in front of him for a moment.  I was about to jump in to save him from the alcohol torment in front of him but he moved before I could do anything.  The first shot went, then the second, and with no hesitation, the third.  The last glass clunked against the table and Butters looked around the table of wide eyed expressions with a frown.

“Wh—What?  Did I do it wrong?  Oh, hamburgers,” he explained and gently tugged at a piece of his hair.

“Are you kidding me?  That was awesome!  I know who I’m drinking with from now on.  Kenny’s no longer fun,” Stan yelled in excitement.

“Hey!  I am too fun!” I shouted back offended.

Stan stuck his tongue out at me.  Being the sober one at the table was odd.  I was always drinking when everyone else was, but it was kind of fun being the bystander to Kyle and Alex obliviously and shamelessly getting handsy with each other.  Stan was checking out any chick he could to scope out his prey.  And Butters was trashed by the fifth shot and one fruity drink that he was too intoxicated to tell me the name without giggling.  I couldn’t say I hated it because the alcohol was making him lean against me for support and his hand was always trying to find contact.  Most of the time he found my hand which we would hold under the table, but a few times he would grab on to my thigh which would make me tense up in my seat.  I had to focus hard to keep it together.

“Oh!  I got a bite,” Stan suddenly said from scanning his potential suitors. “Let’s see if the sympathy card works.”

“It does, trust me,” I answered.  Stan struggled a bit to get out of his seat with only having the one arm and being a bit inebriated.  When Stan had reached the cute brunet who was a whole foot shorter than him, I turned my attention to the two lovebirds across the table who were talking low to each other and no one else.  _Thank fucking god._

“Kenny,” Butters suddenly whined from next to me.

“Butters?  You okay?” I asked and lifted my hand to press it to his cheek.  He hummed as he nodded. “Do you want to go home?  I can drive you.”

His head shot up as he sat to face me. “No!” he shouted loudly and grabbed my hand. “I wanna dance.”

I blinked. “You want to…dance?” I repeated slowly.

Butters nodded rapidly.  His cheeks were rosy and he couldn’t stop smiling. “I wanna dance with ya,” he said.  It was the strongest I had ever heard his Southern accent come out. “Please?” he whined.

I chuckled. “Okay, yes, let’s go dance,” I answered.  Butters whooped loudly and was suddenly pulling me out of the booth to head to the dance floor packed full of people.  He led the way weaving through moving bodies to get towards the middle.  When he stopped he swayed a bit and I grabbed his arm to steady him. “You okay?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I might be a bit drunk.”

I couldn’t help the loud laugh that forced itself out of me. “A bit?  You’re pretty trashed,” I corrected him.

“Not too trashed to know that I can’t dance,” he said almost proudly.

“Well, good thing you’re with the master at dancing,” I said and pulled on Butters’ arm to force him forward so our bodies were pressed together.

I lowered my hands to stop at his hips and used them along with my own hips to start our swaying slow.  I wasn’t sure how clouded his mind was so going too fast could potentially have him on his ass.  We swaying along to the beat of the song, picking up speed to match the people around us.  Butters was nervous at first.  He was concentrating hard of his movements until I grabbed his chin to lift his head. “Stop thinking,” I said. “Just feel it and focus on me.” He smiled wide and gave the smallest nod.  Once he was no longer concentrating, he was loosening up.  His hips were swaying smoother and his arms moved up to rest on my shoulders.

Heated bodies pressed against each other, moving to an exact rhythm of swaying hips.  Hands started to feel more curious as fingers gently pushed into my hair to press against my scalp.  My hand moved slightly around to find the bare skin exposed by the hem of his shirt slightly lifted above his jeans.  Soft skin no matter what part of the body I touched.  Butters was breathing heavily.  I could feel it against my face.  The room was hot from all the bodies mashed together in movement.  Sweat clung to me but I didn’t care.  The fingers in my hair were moving and then tightened slightly to give a small tug.  The sharp pain it created made my jaw drop open and there was suddenly hot, wet lips pressed against mine.  It was a drunken, sloppy kiss that I wasn’t leading.  My hands moved again so one was at the centre of Butters’ back and the other found its way under his shirt to rest on his lower back.  Butters disconnected first to breath.  I was breathing just as hard as he was and there was tension everywhere in my body.  My chest.  My head.  The crotch of my jeans.

“Kenny,” Butters said breathlessly.  The music was blaring but he was so close I could hear him. “Kenny, I like you,” he continued and I felt my breath hitch in my throat. “I’ve always really liked you.  So promise—promise you won’t leave me.”

I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “I won’t ever leave you, Butters,” I said back quietly.

“And promise you won’t be mad,” he added and blinked slowly.

I furrowed my eyebrows at that one. “Mad?  Why would I be mad?” I asked.

“Because I lied to you,” he answered.

“Butters,” I said and moved the hand that was at the centre of his back to move some strands of hair that clung to his forehead from the layer of sweat there. “I told you, I forgive you for that and I’ll always forgive you for anything.”

Butters leaned into me so his head was beside mine and just as he was about to speak, the bass hit hard and everything became inaudible as he whispered to me words I couldn’t hear.  He finished and his hips were swaying again as he leaned forward again to press his lips sloppily to mine.  He demanded the lead again but I wasn’t about to let him get away with it without a fight.  He was worth the fight over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit themightypookums.tumblr.com for original artwork by yours truly!


	13. I Will Find You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're getting so close to the end. We've come so damn far. We've all been through so much, but it feels like there's still so much to come. That's why I suggested we take a night off. Butters needed it. Kyle and Alex needed it. Even I needed it. A night where there were not curses and Butters and I could just be us for the night.
> 
> Plus, I didn't mind drunk Butters. Even if he was testing my boundaries to the point of flat out torture.
> 
> But not that's it's over, it's time to get serious. It's time to end the curses once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> I want to thank EVERYONE who has been so supportive of Soulmates! You guys are all the best and make me so damn happy every single time I see a comment or kudos! You are all the absolute best!!
> 
> This is a shorter chapter because I either could make the chapter the regular length but end it at a weird spot, or I could make it shorter and have a longer, epic ending chapter. Trust me, you'll thank me in the end!
> 
> Enjoy lovelies!

There was a slight ringing in my ears when I woke.  I could practically feel the pulsating beat of the bass from the loud party music through my feet.  It took me a minute to get my mind straight before I was able to sit up with a loud groan.  The thin blanket I laid on wasn’t enough to help my back on the hard wood floor.  Everything snapped and popped the further I pushed myself to my feet.  The unfamiliar décor and overall messiness made by books and clothes was alarming before I remembered where I was.

Butters’ bedroom.

How did I end up there?  Stan disappeared early in the night at the Vault with the nameless girl he shamelessly flirted with.  I dropped Kyle and Alex off at the apartment.  They were barely inside before they were all over each other.  I laughed, and then I felt the hand against my thigh.  It startled me.  It was Butters who was more affectionate with alcohol in his blood.  He hummed a soft tune as I helped him up the stairs to his apartment.  As soon as the door was closed, I was slammed against it.  Hungry lips moved against mine in heated desperation for contact.  I could taste the alcohol in his mouth.  I wanted to keep going.  All I wanted was to make him mine, but something felt wrong.  I had to hold back for him and for probably a million other reasons I couldn’t think about at that moment.  He let out a soft sound of disappointment as I helped him into bed and he was almost immediately asleep.

I stayed by his side for the longest time as I ran my fingers through his soft yellow hair.  I should have gone home to my bed, but something made me stay.  Maybe it was his yellow hair.  Maybe it was his sleeping face.  Or maybe it was the words that lingered dangerously at the tip of my tongue, teasing me with its constant rocking back and forth.

The bed creaked gently under my weight as I leaned down to press the softest kiss against his forehead.  He stirred in his sleep but didn’t wake up.  I fought against myself to pull myself away.  I was about to leave the room when the light caught something metal to reflect into the corner of my eyes.  I turned my head to see the familiar helmet peaking out from the propped open lid of the trunk in the corner.  I couldn’t help the small smile that formed at the edge of my lips.  He was so careless sometimes.

I made it back home to open the door to Alex sitting at the dining table with a mug in front of him.  He looked up as I quietly shut the door behind me. “I helped myself.  I hope you don’t mind,” he mentioned as he lifted his mug from the table slightly.

“Not at all.  You can take whatever you like,” I answered and walked over as he stood.  I wanted a shower but not right away.  I just needed to sit for a bit.

“I made lots.  Do you want one?” he asked.  I nodded in response.  He disappeared into the kitchen as I took a seat at the table. “Sugar?  Milk?”

“Black is fine,” I answered.

Alex scoffed. “I always thought you were a savage,” he said teasingly as he returned to set the mug in front of me. “I never thought you were a psychopath too.”

“Because I drink my coffee black?” I asked curiously.

“No, because you have a dark secret, Kenny,” Alex replied sternly.  I stopped with my mug touching my lips.  The warmth from the liquid inside wafted against my face as I stared over the rim at the brunet across the table from me. “Don’t worry, I’m not sure what it is exactly.  I’m hoping you’re a serial killer.  That would cross one thing off my bucket list.”

“I am definitely not a serial killer,” I mumbled into my mug before I finally took an experimental sip.  _Ah, too hot!_

“Hm, then that settles it,” he said with a wide grin that made me unsettled.  There was no way he knew.  Right?  _Right?!_ “Fight Club.  There’s no other explanation for the secrecy and alarming number of bruises and cuts you always seem to have.” I nervously swallowed the lump in my throat.  It wasn’t like I had been the most inconspicuous, but I never would have imagined that someone who started as a blur escaping from the apartment after a one night stand would end up sitting across from me as he analyzed me from top to bottom like I was some sort of experiment to him. “You’re a mystery, Kenny.  Kyle pretends to be one, but he’s easy to read.  He’s just stubborn.  Stan is an open book.  He trusts everyone effortlessly.  You, on the other hand, you’re guarded.  You have a secret that Kyle and Stan are keeping for you, and that just makes me all the more curious to know what it is.”

Alex’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.  I let out a soft sigh as I slowly shook my head. “Trust me, it’s not as exciting as you may think,” I replied, knowing that it wasn’t at all true.  I rubbed the back of my hand against my tired eye.

“Don’t worry, I’m not about to go around poking and prodding into your business, Kenny.  I was merely stating an observation I made about you,” he explained with a small smile. “I’ve lived with secrets surrounding me since I was a kid.  My dad’s really good at having secrets.”

_You have…no idea._

Alex lifted his mug to his lips.  He was staring at me at first but then let his eyes travel down.  There was something on his mind.  I let him allow the silence drag so he could gather his thoughts.  The mug tapped gently against the table as he set it down. “I have to thank you,” Alex spoke after letting the silence linger a little while longer.  He was staring down inside his mug with his small smile on his face.

“For Kyle?” I added.  He nodded slowly. “Don’t thank me.  He likes you and if I let him—,” I had to stop myself.  I had to choose my words carefully.  Alex didn’t know.  He didn’t deserve to be dragged in between me and Kyle and his own father. “Kyle can self-destruct when things get rough.  He’s strong, but he still has troubles understanding his own feelings.  That’s why he’s got us, to keep him in line.”

Alex chuckled softly. “He’s lucky to have friends like you,” he explained softly.

“That must make you lucky too,” I said and took another sip of my coffee.

Alex stifled his small laugh. “I guess that officially makes us friends now, huh?” he asked.

“No,” I answered with a shake of my head. “We were friends long before now.  You just weren’t allowed to know.  Super top secret and all that shit.  You know, like a certain club,” I joked as I tapped my finger against the side of my nose and winked.

Alex couldn’t hold back the heavier laugh that escaped him. “You are such an odd one.  I’ve never met anyone quite like you, Kenny,” he explained.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that.  He had no idea the irony of his words, and a large part of me hoped he would never find out.  I hoped that no matter what, he wouldn’t figure out about me or his dad.  It was too much to take for anyone.  It was unfair to put that kind of burden on the shoulders of someone who had nothing to do with it except being related to one of the guilty parties.

The office door swung open after I knocked and Mr. Bagley took a step to the side to let me through. “Is everything alright, sir?” I asked nervously.  It wasn’t very often I was asked to sit down with him in his office.  The few times that I had been it was to discuss serious stuff like my permanent position in the garage or the time a customer was threatening to sue because he thought we had cut his brake lines.  Turns out he just had a really crazy mistress.

“Take a seat, Kenny,” the man ordered as he gently shut the door behind him.

I was hesitant but did as he told.  He had a slight limp as he walked around his desk to sit down with a long sigh.  It always came out when the weather got really cold.  The struggle to sit down was painful to watch.  _I never wanna get old._ He had deep wrinkles along his forehead and the corners of his lips. “Did I do something wrong, Mr. Bagley?” I asked nervously.  I couldn’t help it.  The man was emitting such a dark aura, it was driving me nuts.

He slowly shook his head. “No, you’ve done nothing wrong.  If anything, you’ve been doing splendid.  I just thought it was time that we talk about your future here and what it is that you want.”

“What I…want?” I asked in a low voice.

Mr. Bagley nodded slowly. “Yes, do you see yourself staying here, even after I retire from this place?” he asked. “Or is there something else you wanted to do?”

I scoffed. “I thought you were going to die here,” I mentioned jokingly, referring back to a conversation we had months ago while half under the hood of a struggling minivan on its last few miles.

Mr. Bagley chuckled. “While I would love to, it’s unfortunately not the best solution for my company.  There are still a few years to go until I’ll finally hand this place over to David and Spence, but what I want to know is what you see yourself doing at that time?  Will you still be here?  Will you fight for their spot when their time comes?  Or do you have something else you want?”

I swallowed down the lump of nerves.  I hadn’t been asked what I wanted to do since high school.  I merely answered with a shrug and sunk down into my chair across the desk from the guidance counsellor.  I had never expected to be in Denver with Kyle and Stan and living a double life alongside Butters.  It was a surreal change I never would have seen coming.  It had completely changed me and suddenly the question seemed heavier than ever before.  _What did I want?_

“When I first hired you, I was skeptical about who you were.  You seemed lost, like you had already given in to the world around you, but the longer you’ve been here, the more of a change I’ve seen in you.  You have a light now,” he explained and I couldn’t help the small scoff that left my throat.

“A light?” I asked curiously.

“Everyone has one when they find their reason.  The reason why they were born.  I think you’ve found it, even if you’re not entirely sure what it is yet,” Mr. Bagley explained.   There was a small smile on his usually scowling face. “So, tell me how I can help you, Kenny.  Tell me what it is that you need in order to get what you want.”

It was so unusual.  I don’t get what I want.  I fight for what I _need._   The question was so loaded.  What did I want?  In my job?  In my life?  I want—

I groaned loudly as I flopped down on the couch.  The garage was hit with a rush near the end of the day and my body was exhausted from constantly having to full myself out of my mental funk to get shit done.  I picked up Kyle and Stan from school and immediately threw myself onto the couch upon entering the apartment.  I wanted to sleep but there was no shutting up my brain. “Hungry?” Stan asked as he passed by and smacked my foot hanging over the arm of the couch.

“Mm hm,” I answered tiredly.

“The first night you take off from roof hopping and you’re more exhausted then I’ve ever seen you,” Kyle explained as he sat down on the other part of the sectional with a heavy textbook on his lap. “What were you and Butters up to last night?” he asked teasingly.  The huge grin on his face was annoying.

“Nothing close to what you and Alex were up to,” I replied and turned my head with a sly grin aimed right back at him.  Kyle rolled his eyes.  There was the slightest touch of pink to his cheeks. “Are you eventually just going to tell him you’re in love with him and get this all over with?  It would put all of us out of our misery.”

“Are you?” Kyle retaliated sharply.  I looked away.  _Smartass._

“You both shit talk but you do realize you’re both fucking pathetic, right?” Stan asked through the window of the kitchen. “Like, I slept with a girl who had horse posters all over her apartment walls which gave me some very painful thoughts leading back to my sister and how they both owned the same unicorn statue, but you two are pathetic and your love lives make me sad.”

I had to sit up to look over the back of the couch at him.  My eyebrows were knitted together. “She had horse posters?” I asked.

“And a unicorn statue?” Kyle added.

“Everywhere,” Stan answered slowly, his eyes wide.

I laughed and laid back down. “So you two really didn’t do anything last night?” Kyle leaned over me to ask.  His green eyes were wide with curiosity.  He was trying to read me, to see if I was lying.

“Are you still on that?” I asked in bitterly to his prying tone.

“I’m just impressed that you spent an entire night with him and did absolutely nothing.  I didn’t think you were capable of self-restraint,” he explained with an amused grin. “I thought maybe it was something we’d have to earn from the Wizard of Oz or something.”

“You’re such an asshole, Kyle,” I scoffed.

He laughed and slowly shook his head.  He shifted on the couch so he could lay down with his head next to mine.  Stan was digging around in the cabinets for pots. “So, where’s Life?” Kyle asked, his tone low like he was worried the question might trigger me or something.  My fingernails dug into my arm. “I haven’t heard you two bickering like an old married couple in a few days.”

I let out a small sigh.  It was the question I wish I had the answer to. “He’s here.  I can feel him, but he’s been silent since the encounter with Wrath.  I know he’s holding on to the energy but he’s refusing to say anything,” I explained bitterly. “He’s being stubborn, even though I apologized.”

“Well, if he’s anything like you than maybe he doesn’t want an apology.  Maybe he just wants time to figure things out.  I mean, there’s obviously something going on if he’s refusing to talk,” Kyle mentioned.

I let out the soft sigh from my lungs. “We had wings, Kyle.  It was insane feeling the energy moving through me.  Life’s energy.  It was unreal,” I explained softly.  My eyes were pulling patterns from the bumps in the ceiling. “For the first time, I feel like we can actually win this,” I added and Kyle shifted.  I think he sat up a bit.  I wasn’t sure from my position. “I always had this flicker of doubt.  There was something missing, but in that moment when Life took over and I felt the whole of his energy, I suddenly felt like I had found everything I was missing.”

“Wow, that is…,” Kyle paused dramatically and I waited for him to finish, “so gay,” he said and I rolled my eyes as I lifted my hand to swat at him.

“Shut up, man,” I growled as he laughed and tried to dodge my swinging fist which finally connected with his shoulder.  It was a hard punch at an awkward angle that made Kyle wince through his laughter.

“Kyle!  Stop picking on Kenny and come help me cut up some veggies,” Stan shouted from the kitchen.

Kyle quickly sat up to spin around.  His expression was twisted into a deep scowl. “Why me?  Why not Kenny?” he snapped in annoyance.

“Because Kenny can’t cut straight worth shit,” Stan replied bitterly.

I snorted quietly in my small laugh. “Says the straight man to the gay man,” I muttered quietly and shouted loudly when the palm of Kyle’s hand connected with my chest.

“You’re such a shithead, Kenny,” Kyle said with a playful tone as he slowly shook his head and stood up from the couch.  I couldn’t help but laugh as he made his way around my feet to join Stan in the kitchen.  My small chuckling was quickly cut off when my phone chimed from my pocket.  I struggled to pull out and lifted it above my face, almost dropping it at first before I tightened my grip.

**K²:** need ur model 2nit?  
**K²:** im free  
**K²:** Butters?  
**K²:** u alive Leopold?

My first message was sent while I was on my lunch.  The last message was just before I left to pick up Stan and Kyle.  I was getting worried but there was finally a response.

**LBS:** Not feeling well.  Talk later.

“Huh?” I said to myself in confusion as I sat up with my legs crossed underneath me.

**LBS:** Patrol on your own tonight.

“What the—?” I started to mutter under my breath but stopped myself to quickly tap my thumb against the screen on my phone before I pressed it to my face.  Butters had a pattern in his messages.  Emojis and exclamation points.  Humour in his words without any tone.  He wasn’t dry unless there was something wrong.

There were two sets of rings before the automated voice spoke, “We’re sorry, the person you are currently trying to reach is unavailable at the moment.  Please leave a—.”

I hung up before it could finish.  My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.  Two rings only meant one thing: he hung up on me. “Hey,” I called out and leaned over the back of the couch as Stan and Kyle both faced me through the kitchen window. “Have either one of you guys talked to Butters today?”

Kyle shook his head. “I have,” Stan answered. “I messaged him earlier today asking him how he was.  I think you were on your way to work at the time.  He’s super hungover.  He said he was going to spend all day in bed to recover.  Which, by the sounds of it, he really needed.”

“He did drink a lot last night.  I wouldn’t be surprised,” Kyle replied with a roll of his eyes and returned to cutting up the veggies. “I think he drank more than any one of us.”

It was an answer, even if I didn’t like it.  The sharp, bitter responses could have easily been a result of Butters being hung over but I couldn’t shake the feeling in the pit of my stomach that there was something else wrong. “Kenny,” Stan spoke up.  I lifted my head as I made a small noise in the back of my throat. “Let him get through the hangover.  Don’t go running over there like Mr. Prince Charming.  Just message him tomorrow morning when he’s slept it off.”

“Ugh,” I groaned.  I rolled my eyes and flopped back on the couch.  I hated waiting.  I didn’t like the nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach, but it couldn’t be helped.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

“Capital of Idaho,” Kyle’s voice said through the communicator.

“Boomtown,” I replied dryly.

Stan snickered lightly. “Boise,” he answered smugly.  I rolled my eyes.

“One point for Stan,” Kyle said and there was some paper rustling in the background. “Long-armed ape.”

My cape lifted slightly behind me as the wind picked up along the side of the building. “Oh!  Stanley!” I practically shouted.

Kyle sputtered uncontrollably as his laughter erupted from his chest. “Fuck you, Kenny,” Stan growled and I laughed.  I could basically see him shaking his head slowly from his desk where he was doing homework.

Kyle’s laughter slowly faded to small, controlled chuckles. “Alright, I’ll give you half a point for that,” he finally managed to say when he was calm enough.

“This game is rigged,” Stan muttered quietly.

I let out a small sigh as I shook my head.  It was an extremely quiet night and it wasn’t until I was standing on a rooftop watching a bird peck at a half-eaten sandwich for twenty minutes that I realized just how much I missed Butters.  Even on dead nights we’d find something to do.  Whether it was energy controlling or physical training, we were keeping busy.  We even gave him the extra communicator so he could join in on the banter with Kyle and Stan.  The banter just wasn’t the same without him there smiling next to me as he innocently took shot after shot at everyone.  Even with the mask, the proud smile he made when we built off his quick wit was still his.  I can’t believe I didn’t fucking notice it before.  _Seriously, how dense was I that I didn’t see it?_

“You two are terrible at the crossword puzzle,” Stan mumbled bitterly.

“You’re just mad because I always win,” I replied as I stood up to cross my arms over my chest.

“You only win because Kyle gives you points for every stupid comment you make,” Stan explained with a slightly louder voice. “You don’t ever actually get any of the answers right, you just—.”

“Stan, shut up,” Kyle snapped.  It was so sudden and so deep that it startled me.  It wasn’t a demand out of malice though.  There was worry in Kyle’s voice.  Stan immediately quieted. “Kenny, there’s something going on at a bar downtown.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.  I had no idea what it was but my instincts had my feet instantly moving in the direction of downtown without hesitation.

Kyle was quiet for a while.  The silence seemed to drag on. “Looks like four guys stormed into the bar with guns and are holding the people there hostage.  Police are at the scene setting up a perimeter,” Kyle explained.

“Shit, get me the address,” I demanded.

When I arrived, the entire scene was a mess.  Police were trying desperately to hold back the nosey bystanders as hostages stood in a line along the windows to block any view inside.  Lights of red and blue flashed in the streets to streak up the sides of the buildings all across the block.  There was no easy way to help.  There were eyes all over.  There may have been a back way in but there was no way of finding out with the amount of police officers surrounding the building.  There was no way of getting close without risking getting caught.  If I had any chance of getting close, I would need help.

“Ah, there’s help,” I said with a wide, shit eating grin when my eyes fell on the brunette woman arguing with a man who was considerably larger than her but you wouldn’t have really noticed with her sizing him the fuck up like a boss. “Nice to see you again, Officer.”

I carefully made my way down the fire escape to creep to the edge of the alleyway while avoiding the wandering beams of light from the officers’ torches.  The voices of Officer Remis and the larger man became more distinct as I pressed my back against the brick wall of the building.  There was lots of other noise but I focused in on the strong voice of the woman who spoke above all the noise. “Are you nuts?  Storm through the front with weapons drawn and hope that they surrender based on sheer numbers?  You are going to get everyone killed in there with that plan!” Officer Remis shouted.

“It is the only plan with the least amount of casualties,” the man replied.  His voice was deep but not nearly as intimidating as Officer Remis.

“No, there should be no casualties.  Not a single damn one,” Remis replied.  There was venom in her voice that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand.  It was a terrible idea, I knew that, but it was the only idea I had.  Every other time that we had been face-to-face she had the chance to cuff me and take me away, but she didn’t.  There had to be a reason why and I was hoping that reason was going to get her to help me one more time.

“That is the plan, but I am not taking you in there with your head hot.  You need to take a walk and cool down first.  That is an order,” the man growled deep in his throat. “Hopefully you can douse that fire before we decide to go in.”

There was some footsteps followed by a quiet curse that sounded like it came from Officer Remis.  I inhaled slowly as I mustered up all of my nerves.  I slowly moved to peek around the corner as the woman turned on the heel of her boot.  Her face was contorted in anger that quickly faded when her eyes lifted.  I must have leaned too far because Remis’ eyes narrowed and she leaned her head forward slightly. “Mysterion?” she hissed in a low, wondering voice.

“Shit,” I reacted and quickly stepped back into the alley. “Wait, why am I worried?  Wasn’t that my plan?  What the hell is my plan, exactly?” I said and rolled my eyes. “Seriously, Life, you’ve royally fucked up my head.  I’m never going to stop talking to myself now.”

The heavy footsteps were moving quickly towards the alley.  I took a few more steps back before I turned to sprint for the corner. “Mysterion!” Officer Remis hissed after me.

I ducked around the corner and hid in the thick shadow created in the doorway at the back of the building.  The footsteps were moving quicker in pursuit to catch up to me.  I only had one chance to protect myself and I couldn’t screw it up or else everything I had worked for would go to shit.  I couldn’t rely on hope, I had to talk faster than she moved.  The footsteps finally turned the corner and I moved.  There was a flailing of limbs as Officer Remis shouted loudly.  I pinned her roughly with her facing the brick of the building.  I was rougher than I had expected but she didn’t seem fazed at all with one arm pinned to her back as the other was pressed hard against the brick.

“Dammit, Mysterion, let me go,” she snapped angrily.  She thrashed against me.  Her free arm flew to catch me in the thigh.  The hit was hard and made me wince.

“I’m sorry, I don’t want to do this, but I need you to listen to me, okay?  First, you’re a super angry lady and it’s terrifying.  Like, jumping off buildings doesn’t come close to the fear I have right now of what might happen if you get free,” I explained nervously.

“Loosen your grip and we’ll see what happens!” she hissed through clenched teeth.

“Second, I’m not going to let you go unless I know you’re not going to slap a pair of cuffs on me,” I explained as I fought against her writhing angrily under my force.

“Why in the hell would I make a promise like that?” she asked bitterly. “You’re a criminal, Mysterion.   Every single officer in Denver is ordered to arrest you if you’re spotted immediately and turn you in without hesitation or question.”

“Look, the term criminal has a very broad spectrum of its definition.  You call me a criminal because I put on a mask and save people with more success than the police.  You call me a criminal, I call you jealous, but I keep that to myself at least because it’s mean,” I stammered on.  The woman growled angrily and lifted her foot to try to stomp it down on my toes but I managed to move away at the last moment. “Alright!  Calm down or else I’m not going to help you get the hostages out of the bar,” I snapped with as much anger in my tone as I could form over my nerves.

The woman scoffed.  There was a ringing in my ears that was slowly growing.  I quickly shook it away.  I had to focus. “You?  Help out with the hostages?  I think that’s a stupider idea than my boss wanting to go in guns blazing and get people killed.  I’d rather the dumb idea over the completely moronic one.”

My heart was racing in my chest.  Breathing was getting difficult.  It felt like the ball of energy in my chest was growing.  Not quite out of control, but it was growing to the point that it was going to expand beyond my skin. “No, I—I can get in there and—I can—I’ll—,” I stumbled over my words.  The ringing was growing again.

I felt the woman relax.  She looked at me from over her shoulder with narrowed, worried eyebrows. “What the hell is wrong with you?” she snapped.  She was trying to sound strong but there was worry buried deep underneath it.

“I—I don’t—,” I started to say and I couldn’t help but loosen my grip on her.  A heavy fog rushed through my mind.  Scattered memories.  A wave of feelings washed over me.  I couldn’t control whatever was happening to me.

“Holy shit,” the familiar echoing voice in my mind spoke up.  It had been so quiet for so long that hearing it startled me. “Kenny!  It’s her!”

“Wha—?” I started to ask when Officer Remis suddenly spun around.  I saw the flash of light reflect off the metal cuffs but I couldn’t react quickly enough before the loud clicking echoed around me as the one cuff clipped around my wrist.  I instinctively reached out to grab her arm and that’s when the familiar black energy I stole from Wrath shot from my skin to wrap around both of us.  A strong feeling of energy coursed through me before returning to the ball again.  I quickly lifted my head just as the officer’s eyes lit up with bright grey that was far from the natural colour of her eyes. “Holy fuck, you’re—,” I started to say but then the solid fist connected with my jaw and I felt the energy rush out of me all at once, leaving behind only Life.

I was swimming in the darkness.  I felt the pain in my jaw slowly disappear. “I can’t believe it,” Life said quietly.  He scoffed loudly. “I can’t believe you found Will.  Hundreds of years and you finally found her.”

“Nice to have you back, Life,” my voice echoed back in response.  I tried not to sound bitter but I couldn’t help it.  A part of me was petty about him leaving me but the rest of me was just happy to hear his damn voice.

“Kenny,” Life said.  His voice had dropped. “Kenny, I’m so—I’m so sorry.”

“Why?  Because you lied?  Or because you left?” I replied bitterly.  I was allowed to be just a bit.

Life clicked his tongue. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?” he asked. “You forget though, I’m in your head, which means I know what you’re thinking,” he explained.  I didn’t respond. “I missed you too.”

“Hey,” Officer Remis’ voice echoed through and I felt a few small slaps against my cheek that pulled me further and further from my unconsciousness.  I groaned.  The pain came back to pulse in my jaw.  The woman had a nasty right hook, I’d give her that. “Open your eyes, McCormick.  I doubt a punch to the face would trigger your resurrection.  I’m sure you’ve had worst.”

My eyes snapped open at that.  My breaths came out in small pants.  I was sitting on a cold floor in a small warehouse.  My hands were behind me with the cuffs tightly around my wrists to keep me attached to the metal pole that supported the floor above.  Officer Remis stood in front of me.  Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest as she stared down at me.  Her eyebrow lifted quizzically when I let my eyes travel up to scowl at her.

“You are not light, you know that?” she asked. “I had to drag your ass in here and that was not fun,” she complained through her bitterness.

“You’re—,” I tried to say but my voice came out raspy and shaky.  The dramatic shift in energy fucked with my body.

“I mean, seriously.  I know you’re basically all muscle because you have to be, but I am not,” she continued to complain, ignoring my struggling words.

“How—How—?” I tried again.  No success.

Remis rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh.  She was getting annoyed. “Spit it out, McCormick,” she snapped.

“How the hell do you know who I am?” I finally managed to blurt out in one quick, barely audible sentence.

“Well, I didn’t know for sure until now, but it was pretty easy to piece together.  I mean, I haven’t been practicing or focusing on my energy at all, but you definitely weren’t even trying.  You were running around as Mysterion just waving your energy around like a kid who just discovered his own dick.  Then the Vault when you almost killed that gang member as a civilian happened and you were waving it around again.  I guess Fate has a bit to do with that one, he’s always been good at getting you riled up for a fight, but you were out of control.  I couldn’t help but dig a little more into who you were.  A boy from a small town with a record of stealing and mild arson who moved to Denver just shortly before Mysterion showed up.  Everything connected.  What didn’t connect though was your lack of control over yourself.  Like seriously, what the hell was Death doing?  Was he even trying to help you?”

I opened my mouth to try to respond but I had no fucking clue what to say.  My brain was a blank slate as I tried to process her words.  I hadn’t expected it to be her.  How the hell would I have ever thought it was? 

“He knows that the first thing to do is to get you under control.  It’s been the rule since the beginning.  You always had a problem with control, Life, and Death has only ever been the one to get you to come back down.  Even when Fate gets you in a twist, he always brings you back down,” Remis continued to speak as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “I was relieved when you finally started to control.  I was worried we were going to have another Black Death incident.  That was such a mess.  I thought Death was going to lose his goddamn mind because of you.  Then you had to go and ruin everything!  What the hell were you thinking getting Fate’s energy?  I told you to leave it alone.”

I still couldn’t speak.  Remis rolled her eyes again.  She stepped forward and the slap against my cheek was like a slap directly against my brain.  Everything snapped back into place and I could get my thought back together.

“Holy shit!  Ow!” I shouted.  She didn’t hold back and it left a sharp sting in my cheek. “Look, we need your help to stop Wrath,” I finally managed to say.

“Finally, took you long enough.  I thought I might have knocked the braid out of you,” she explained as she took a step back to tuck her hair out of her face. “And no.  I was serious when I said I can’t help you,” Remis snapped angrily. “You don’t understand what’s at stake here.”

I sighed loudly and rolled my eyes. “Everyone loves to assume that I don’t understand anything,” I muttered quietly. “If I don’t understand, then explain it to me.  Make me understand,” I snapped back in frustration.

Remis scoffed loudly.  She made a face that quickly faded to a dark scowl as she examined my serious expression. “Are you seriously that dense?  My god, it’s like talking to a wall,” she explained.  Her hands lifted dramatically as she spoke before perching on her hips. “Kenny, have you not thought about what the hell you are?  You are the vessel for Life.  What do you think happens when you get rid of Life?” she asked but didn’t give me even a moment to answer. “The fucking world goes into chaos, moron.  Life and Death are what balances this world.  Just like Fate and Will.  The world depends on them.  You can’t just get rid of them.”

“I don’t want to get rid of them, I just want to stop this curse,” I mentioned. “I want to stop Fate from using people to do the terrible things he’s doing and I want the curse to stop.  I don’t want anyone else to have to go through this.  The souls that never rest because they are carried from vessel to vessel with Life.  I want it to stop.”

Remis shook her head quickly. “You can’t stop it.  It is a curse.  It’ll carry on until the end of time,” she replied bitterly.

“It doesn’t have to.  We can release Life and Will.  They no longer need to be bound to vessels and people will no longer have to be used to carry around the weight of their curse,” I replied. “It’s possible, but all four of us need to end it.  If we don’t, then the cycle will never end.”

“Tell me, how exactly do we stop the cycle?” she asked stubbornly.  I opened my mouth but immediately snapped it shut.  I didn’t know the details.  I was just working off whatever Life and Dorothy told me, but in reality I knew nothing. “That’s what I thought.  It’s not possible,” Remis replied slowly.  Her words were heavy. “There is no stopping this curse.  We all just have to learn to live with it.  I did, long ago.  When I first met Will, they told me to hide.  They told me that no matter how hard I felt the pull towards you guys, I had to fight it.  I had to stay away and live the life I wanted to.  And that’s what I suggest for you as well.  Stop trying to fight Fate.  Stop trying to get in their way.  It only ends with you getting hurt.  It ends badly for you, Life.  You need to realize that there is no stopping this.  Just let him do what he wants.”

I felt my muscles twitch in my arms.  I could feel the anger coming from Life.  He had been quietly listening the entire time, but I could feel him getting more and more angry with each passing moment.

“What you’re asking is for me to be okay with him killing hundreds of thousands of people for his own amusement,” I growled.

Remis slowly shook her head. “No, what I’m asking is for you to stop torturing yourself for something you can’t stop.  You can’t win.  Fate will always come back and tear at this world,” she explained and there was a fearful shake to her voice.  She was struggling against something.

My eyebrows narrowed together as I leaned forward slightly. “I can’t do that.  I can’t just sit back and watch people get hurt,” I explained.  Remis exhaled sharply as she spun around.  Her shoulders were shaking in the light that came from the lamps outside that poured through the large windows. “What are you so scared of?”

“Kenny,” Life finally spoke up.

“Fate is out there hurting people and you’re hiding,” I snapped. “You’re not protecting yourself, you’re just running away from the problem like a coward.”

“Kenny, stop for a moment,” Life spoke louder.  I snapped my jaw shut.  The pain I had been too distracted to notice flooded me. “When you and her connected, I managed to catch some of her energy.  It’s weak, but it’s there and I’ve been able to reach into some memories.”

“I’m not scared of anything,” Remis snapped back angrily. “Especially not Fate.”

“I found something.  It will either drive her far away or it may be the key to getting her to join us,” Life continued.  My jaw clenched.  Remis turned back to face me with a curious expression. “It’s a gamble.  What do you want to do?”

There was worry in Life’s voice but I had no other option.  Options were not my friend.  I had to take whatever I could. “Show me,” I thought back to him.  The scattered, jumbled memories I saw before came back to me clearer.  I couldn’t help but flinch when the sharp pain formed in the front of my head.  I could see Remis happy and smiling.  She was younger and light surrounded her and she wasn’t alone.  There was a reason she was happy.  It was…light. “Holy shit,” I said out loud.  My eyes were wide as I stared up at the woman.  If I hadn’t seen it, I never would have believed it. “You were married to him,” I said breathlessly.  The expression on her face tightened in confusion. “You were married to Phillip Marco,” I explained and any colour that I could see from the light instantly washed out of Remis’ face. “You were married to Fate.  You’re Alex’s mother.”

Her face quickly shifted back to anger. “How the hell do you know about Alex?” she snapped.

I struggled with my hands bound behind me to get my feet under me so I could stand. “I didn’t get it before now!” I shouted loudly.  Remis took a cautious step back as her hand instinctively reached for her gun. “We are all connected.  It makes so much fucking sense now!  Not just Butters and I, but you and Phillip.  We’re all connected.  There’s no coincidence that you and I met that first night.  It’s not a coincidence that your son is dating my best friend.  It’s no coincidence that Butters and I grew up as childhood friends or that Butters and Phillip met miles and miles away.  There’s no such thing as coincidence!  Everything has led us here, right here, right now to this moment.  We are being pulled together for a reason and I may be an idiot, but I think that reason is to end this curse.  To finally be free!” I felt the energy rising in my chest.  The ball was growing more and more intense the more I was letting my excitement grow. “Remis, please, I know you’re worried.  I know you’re scared that something bad is going to happen, but we have to try.  We have to try to end this curse once and for all,” I explained but there was hesitation on the woman’s face through her worry. “Don’t you want to be free?  Not living your life looking over your shoulder, but actually genuinely free.”

“It—It’s not possible,” Remis said in a small voice.  She was on the verge of tears.

“It is,” I answered and stepped forward until my cuffs snagged on the pole. “It’s going to be difficult, but it’s possible.  I don’t know the details, but I have to believe that this will work.  I have to believe that there’s only suffering ahead for us after we have struggled and fought for so long.  It’s time we finally try to put an end to it.” She stared at me.  She wasn’t saying anything but I recognized the expression on her face.  She was having a discussion in her head, just like how Butters and Death would speak. “You would no longer have to hide.  We would all be truly free.”

Remis’ hand slowly moved away from her pistol.  Her shoulders relaxed noticeably and she was reaching into the pocket of her windbreaker.  Her boots clunked against the floor as she moved towards me.  I couldn’t help but tense up slightly.  Whatever it was she was about to do, I more than likely was not going to enjoy it.  I saw the flash of something shiny in her hand as she closed the distance.  I closed my eyes to ready myself for whatever painful feeling was going to happen, but it didn’t come.  The cuffs loosened with a loud click and I could finally step away from the pole with my hands free.  I turned back around to face the officer while rubbing my raw wrists as she carefully put the cuffs and keys away.

“Like I said, I haven’t done anything to harness my energy.  I’ve learned how to mask it, but I have no abilities.  I have nothing to contribute to any kind of fight, but I will try to help you, Kenny.  I want to end this curse, not only for my sake but for Alex’s as well.  I want him to grow up with his parents, no matter how rough around the edges we may be,” she explained emotionally.  The anger was gone and was replaced with understanding and even a bit of sadness.

My eyebrows furrowed together.  Something about that sentence was strange. “We’re not planning on hurting Phillip.  He may have done some bad things, but—,” I was trying to explain.

“No,” Remis interrupted and sighed. “That’s not—You don’t remember?  In every lifetime, the moment the first vessel dies, the three follow close behind.  And in every lifetime, you’ve been the first to go.”

“In every…lifetime?” I said slowly.  Dozens of vessels.  Dozens of lives ended by Death.  Butters lived with those memories.  I saw glimpses of them at times, but if he was anything like me, he saw them every day.  I hadn’t really thought about it before.

“In every lifetime, you’ve sacrificed yourself to Fate in order to protect Death.  When you do, Fate takes your control and turns you into a monster.  Death has had to stop you every single time,” Remis explained.

_“I will find you,”_ the voice from a faded memory echoed.  It quivered before a small sob. _“Just please, forgive me.”_

“Your control has always been weak so it’s always been easy for Fate to take it.  All he needs is for you to surrender to him.  Once you’ve done that, he wins,” Remis continued over the faint whispering voices in my head. “So if I am going to agree to help you here, than I need you to promise me something, Kenny,” she said.  Her eyebrows were furrowed together in seriousness.  I was hesitant but I nodded. “No matter how much trouble he may be in, you will not surrender for Death.  Let him suffer.  Do not surrender yourself or else all of this will be for nothing.” I couldn’t help the clench in my jaw.  Remis noticed and scowled. “This will only work if you survive so you have to promise me, Kenny.  Promise me or I walk away and you will not find me.”

“Kenny,” Life said in a low voice.

“I promise,” I finally answered with a stronger voice than I had anticipated. “I will not surrender.”

Remis relaxed.  She seemed satisfied by my words but I couldn’t help the anxious feeling in my chest. “Good, now let’s go save some hostages,” she said as she passed by me.

I couldn’t calm my racing heart.  It didn’t stop as I snuck in through the back of the bar to incapacitate the gang members from (surprise, surprise) the Arachne Gang one by one.  It took me five minutes and the hostages were out the door into the safe arms of the police without anyone getting shot.  All I had to do was get away without being caught, which was easy with Officer Remis outside creating distractions with the saved hostages and her smug arrogance that her plan worked.

I couldn’t wait to get home.  It was early in the night but I couldn’t help it.  My mind was racing through thoughts.  I couldn’t focus on anything else.  I removed my mask and hood once in my room and started to strip of my boots and gloves.

“I can’t believe it,” I said with a small laugh as I paced.

“You found her,” Life said and there was happiness in his tone.

“I found her.  Its unreal.  I mean, how the hell was it that simple?” I asked as I threaded my fingers into my tangled hair. “There has to be some sort of explanation.  It can’t just be that simple.  It can’t be.”

“Are you seriously questioning it right now?” Life asked. “Really?  Can’t you just be happy?”

I scoffed loudly. “This coming from the one who pouted for days because he had a temper tantrum and embarrassed himself,” I replied teasingly.

“I wouldn’t have had a temper tantrum if you could learn to get good,” Life replied quickly.

I stopped pacing.  The smile that formed on my face was wide. “I missed you, buddy,” I said in a low voice.

Life was silent for a moment. “You’re not mad at me anymore?” he asked curiously.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m a bit mad, yeah, but it doesn’t matter anymore.  We’ve found the fourth vessel.  We can finally end this curse,” I said and then my smile faded slightly. “How exactly do we end the curse?”

“I don’t have all the details, but I think if you all get close enough then everything else will happen naturally,” Life explained. “You just have to get close enough to be touching all three of them at the same time and we’ll go from there.”

I sighed heavily and tilted my head back. “That really doesn’t seem like much of a plan,” I groaned.

“We don’t have the time to come up with a better one,” he replied sternly. “It’s taken centuries to get this far.  We don’t have centuries more.”

“Ah, I know!” I said in frustration as I roughly rubbed my fingertips against my scalp. “I know, I know.  That doesn’t change the fact that it’s a stupid plan.  Like, jumping out of a plane with no parachute, stupid.”

“Ah, then it suits you perfectly,” Life retaliated.

My hands smacked against my thighs as I exhaled heavily. “Really?  Now?  Now you crack a really good joke?” I snapped and scoffed as Life chuckled.  The familiar ringtone of my phone began from the centre of my bed where I had discarded it before I left for the night and made my head whip around.  It was midnight. “Who the hell is calling me at this time of night?” I muttered as I walked over to pick up the phone.  The name on the screen made me both worried and happy at the same time.  _Maybe he woke up and saw that I tried to call him and thought to call me back._   _Or maybe I’m just a hopeless sap._   I let out a sharp sigh as I pressed my thumb against the screen. “Butters, are you feeling better?” I asked with the device pressed against my face.

“K—Kenny,” Butters’ voice struggled through the phone.  My body tensed as ice slid through my veins.  Something was very wrong. “Kenny, I—I’m so—so sorry.”

“Butters?  What is going on?  What’s wrong?” I asked in a panic as I listened to soft rustling from the other end of the call.

“Leopold Butters Stotch,” the bone-chilling voice spoke.  My shoulder tensed so much I thought they could have popped from their sockets.

“Wrath, don’t you dare touch him,” I growled in a warning tone through the phone.

Wrath chuckled from the other end. “It’s a bit late to be making that threat, Mr. McCormick,” he explained smugly. “You see, Leopold and I have spent the whole day together.  I’ve learned quite a lot about him.  I’ve reconnected with Death.  I’ve even learned a few things about you that I didn’t know before.  Who would have thought that you were an excellent swimmer?  It’s incredible what people are capable of spilling when you have a knife pressed to their throats.  Mr. Stotch didn’t waste a second before spilling his secrets.  It’s a shame really how disappointing he is after encountering Professor Chaos so often.  All of Death’s other vessels were so much more put together, but this one is down right pathetic.”

“You’re bluffing,” I snapped back. “He wouldn’t have let you capture him so easily.  There’s no way.  I don’t know how, but you’re lying.  You don’t have him.” I couldn’t help but jump straight into the denial.  I was desperate.

Wrath chuckled deeply. “You must not be in your living room.  I know you returned to your apartment,” he explained.

“Kenny!” Stan suddenly shouted from the other room.

“Keeping you distracted with the hostages gave me lots of time to prepare for this.  I wouldn’t want you to miss Mr. Stotch’s big debut,” Wrath continued.

“Kenny!” Stan shouted again and was in the doorway to my room.

“Not now, Stan!” I yelled back.

He was panting heavily as he rapidly shook his head. “No, you have to come, now.  You—You have to see what’s on the tv,” he explained between his heavy breaths.

“Listen to your friend, Mr. McCormick.  Don’t worry, I’ll wait.  Unless you don’t want to see the scene I’ve spent so much time setting up, starring your dear Leopold,” Wrath explained.

My heart stopped in my chest.  I quickly rushed out of the room with Stan close behind me.  I stopped behind the couch where Kyle was sitting.  His elbows were resting on his knees with his hands covering his mouth as he watched the television.  A feed was struggling to come through on the screen.  There was blurred movement and then the screen finally cleared to show Butters dressed as Professor Chaos.  He was sitting on a chair bound with rope around his torso and legs.  His helmet was removed from his head and was being worn by a gang member that stood to his right.  He was slumped forward in his seat as his shoulders shook.  My legs quaked under my weight.  Blood rushed to my head to make my ears ring obnoxiously.  I couldn’t breathe.

“Do you see, Mr. McCormick?” Wrath asked through the phone in a low voice. “Boys, lift his head so our viewers can get a good look,” he said away from the phone.

The gang member to the left nodded and grabbed the yellow hair to pull Butters’ head up painfully.  I could hear his screams through the phone.  I had to grab the back of the couch to keep myself standing.  Butters’ face was covered in blood and bruises.  Small cuts were scattered over his skin and even down his neck and a few longer ones through his shirt.

“Am I still bluffing, Mr. McCormick?” Wrath asked, his voice slightly raised from before.  I had to steady my breathing.  My heart steadied.  My body stopped shaking.  I let go of the back of the couch to stand up straighter.  Kyle slowly turned on the couch to look up at me.  His green eyes were magnified by the heavy tears that sat there. “Well?  Where is the snarky comeback I was expecting?”

I adjusted the phone against my face.  I didn’t let my eyes move away from the television where Butters sat in agony. “This ends tonight, Wrath,” I said slowly.  My words were solid in each syllable.

Wrath let out a low chuckle. “I’m sure it will.  To make it easier on you, I’ll send you our location, that way you can—.”

“Don’t bother,” I snapped angrily, stopping the man in his tracks. “I will find you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit themightypookums.tumblr.com for original artwork by yours truly!


	14. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it...
> 
>  
> 
> This is the end....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> I want to thank EVERYONE who has been so supportive of Soulmates! You guys are all the best and make me so damn happy every single time I see a comment or kudos! You are all the absolute best!!
> 
> PLEASE BE ADVISED!! The viewpoint of the narration changes frequently within this chapter. It may be a bit confusing at first, but just read carefully and take your time.
> 
> Enjoy lovelies!!

“Kenny, you have to relax!” Kyle shouted.

His footsteps were chasing after me through the apartment into the bedroom.  Stan was shouting something that our red head friend responded to.  I could hear it all around me, but it was distant.  Everything was so far away, and my head was full of only one thing.  I needed to get to him.  I needed to save him.  Screw everything else.

I was standing next to my bed to reach out to grab my gloves. “Kenny!” Stan’s voice finally broke through my tunnel vision as a hand wrapped around my arm.  I was physically pulled back roughly and spun around to face his scowled expression.  I wasn’t sure when he followed after Kyle and I, but he was there. “Stop for a second.  You have to think about this.”

I smacked away the hand that held so tightly around my arm. “I have been thinking!  That’s all I’ve been doing.  Thinking about how the hell to save him.  I have to—,” I was explaining but stopped myself when the tightness in my chest cut off my breath.

 _“No matter how much trouble he may be in,”_ Officer Remis’ voice rang in my ears, _“you will not surrender for Death.”_

“If you go out there like this, you’ll get hurt,” Kyle mentioned worriedly as he stepped up beside Stan.

“I don’t care!” I shouted back. “I’m not afraid of what’ll happen to me.  I can’t die.  I’m fucking immortal,” I paused to shake my head frantically. “No, that’s wrong.  Even before I found out I was immortal, I never worried about what would happen to me.  I wasn’t scared of anything happening to me.  Now—What I am afraid of is what will happen to him.  Without him…I won’t survive.  I’ll live…but I won’t survive,” I explained in a panic.  The words came spilling out too quickly for me to filter and once they were out, there was nowhere to go.  The room fell eerily quiet.  I couldn’t look up at my friends.  I stared at the floor with the hope that they would just leave.  As if that would actually happen.

Then I heard the shuffling footsteps, but they weren’t moving away.  The small body pressed against mine as arms wrapped around me.  I was startled at first, but my body quickly relaxed to give in to the tight arms around me as red hair brushed against my chin. “I know, Kenny,” Kyle whispered into my chest.  I could feel him shaking, even if he was trying hard not to.  I briefly looked up to see Stan’s pain covered face. “We have never been able to stop you.  No matter how hard we’ve tried to tell you to stop, you never can, because you have to help people.  You have to be the hero,” Kyle explained.  His voice was shaking.  He released me to let his hands cup my cheeks.  My eyes widened as he pulled me forward slightly to meet his gaze.  His green eyes were intense. “We can’t stop you.  No one can.  You’re the unstoppable force that barreled through anything, except Butters.  I didn’t realize it.  The moment he came back you came to a full stop.  He is the immovable object you couldn’t get through.  No matter how obvious it is that you two are bad for each other, you’re meant to constantly crash into each other again and again until the end of time.”

“Kyle—,” I started to say but he squeezed my cheeks hard to pucker my lips, silencing whatever words were about to come out next.

“When we first found out you were Mysterion, what did I say to you?” he asked.  My mind reeled through my memories, but they were too jumbled.  I shrugged my shoulders.  I wouldn’t have been able to answer even if I had an answer because of the tight press he had against my cheeks. “I told you not to deal with all of this on your own.  I told you not to carry around the burden by yourself when everything was going to hit you hard.  This is that time, Kenny.  It’s hit.  So, don’t do this alone.  Please, don’t do this alone.”

My hands were grabbing his wrists.  I couldn’t tell when the stinging started behind my eyes and in my nose, but it was all I could focus on as Kyle frowned up at me.  My vision was getting blurry, but my head felt fine.  No, it was something else.

“Kenny,” Kyle said softly and his hands let go of my cheeks to let his arms wrap around me again. “It’s okay.  We’ll get him back.  We’ll get Butters back.”

That’s when I felt it.  The warm, wet sensation down my cheeks before my breath caught in my throat.  I buried my face in the crook of his shoulder as soft sobs escaped my throat.  I had no idea where the hell they came from.  It was as if a wall had suddenly crumbled and I felt everything I had been trying so hard to keep back come crashing down on top of me.  I could feel my fear.  My pain.  The lose and love of every single life before I took my first breath.  I felt the anguish of betraying my people and seeing the same violet eyes stare back at me full of sorrow and regret.  It wasn’t just Butters and I.  It wasn’t just the connection between the two of us.  It was the connection between Life and Death.  It was every vessel they lived in, they bonded all over again.  They cared all over again even though they tried hard not to.  They lost…all over again and again.

My fingers dug into Kyle’s back when my arms wrapped around him.  A second set of hands were suddenly on my back.  Stan, Kyle and I were locked in a tight embrace with me in the middle as I sobbed weakly against Kyle’s warm shoulder.  We didn’t move.  No one spoke as the room filled with me releasing everything built up over decades of memories.  When my sobs finally softened, Kyle moved first which quickly made Stan and I let go.  Kyle’s hands moved back to press against my cheeks again but not nearly as hard as before.  His gaze was intense against mine once again.

“Together, okay?” he pressed with a solid tone. “You just tell us what you need.”

My hand twitched at my side.  There was the smallest crack of a smile on his face and I suddenly realized, I was never the outcast in this friendship.  I separated myself, but they were always there for me.  They were going to be there until the bitter end.

“There is something you guys can do,” I finally said as I used the back of my hand to wipe off my wet cheeks. “You have to be quick though and there is absolutely no room for error.”

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

The street was unsettlingly quiet.  There was loud rock music playing through the familiar metal door on the side of the red brick building.  The flickering neon sign of a large spider made a buzzing sound that was partly drowned out by the thumping music.

“I’ve always wondered,” Life suddenly spoke up from the front of my mind. “Do you think they tried to be inconspicuous at first or did they just go balls to the wall right off the bat?”

My eyebrows furrowed together as I lifted my chin from the palm of my hand. “Balls to the wall?” I asked in a low voice. “Do you even have any idea what the hell that actually means?”

Life hummed a long, flat tune. “Not really.  I heard Stan say it once and it really stuck with me,” he explained nonchalantly.

I rolled my eyes. “Stan is a bad influence, don’t listen to him.”

“Ah yes, and you’re the poster child for good behaviour and positive mental health,” Life responded dryly.

I scoffed softly. “Damn, alright, dial it back a bit.  No need to get so salty,” I responded which made Life chuckle. “Alright, come on you bald son of a bitch,” I whispered under my breath.

“Kenny, you know how to find him.  You just need to focus on him,” Life explained.

“I can’t,” I hissed under my breath. “I still can’t control it fully.  If I try to find him, I risk giving myself away,” I explained and pushed my finger under my mask to rub under my eye. “Besides, you can’t tell me you haven’t been looking forward to doing this.”

“It’s a bad idea,” Life sang.

“It’ll be fun.  Don’t be such a spoil sport,” I retaliated.  The metal door opened and I felt my adrenaline surge through me.  My heart sank though when the scrawny man stepped out into the alley.

“Spoil sport?  I don’t think I’ve heard that one yet,” Life muttered. “I don’t think I enjoy it quite as much as I enjoy fuddy duddy.”

I smiled and was about to respond when the metal door creaked open again.  I practically launched myself up from my crouching position.  The familiar dark lines across slightly tanned skin in the pattern of the creeping long legged spider on his neck and over his jawline made my back tingle with anticipation.

“Are you sure about this?  He doesn’t look like he’ll go down very easily,” Life explained with concern.

I scoffed. “Don’t worry, I have something on my side he doesn’t,” I replied as the man let the heavy door slam shut behind him and started to move through the alley.

“And what is that, exactly?” Life asked.

I was moving along the edge of the roof to follow the man below at his own walking pace. “Rage,” I answered and picked up speed.

I ran until there was no more roof and threw myself off the edge.  The weightless feeling was brief before I was falling.  I moved quickly to flick the grappling hook open and catch it on the metal bar attached to the building across the alley.  The cable snagged and I was swinging through the chilled air to slam, feet first, into the man’s back.  He hit the ground hard.  I heard the loud crack when his face hit the pavement.  There was no mistaking that sound.  I had heard it far too many times before to be able to miss it.

“Son of a bitch!” he shouted angrily.

I landed with a small stumble but quickly caught myself to advance forward. “Well, that went better than expected,” Life explained teasingly.

“Quiet,” I whispered in a hushed hiss.

The man was standing as I stepped up beside him to slam my closed fist against his face.  The blow was heavy as my gold coloured energy covered my hand. “Kenny, remember to keep calm.  Do not let your emotions get out of your control,” Life snapped.

“I’ve realized something, Life,” I said.  The bald man’s arms shook as he tried to sit up.  I slammed my foot into his stomach to make him hunch over with a loud groan. “My emotions are not my weakness, especially in a fight.  If anything, it’s what makes me stronger.”

The bald man chuckled deeply as he pushed himself to sit up. “What are you, some sort of nutjob?” he asked in a low voice as I stood adjusting my gloves. “You’re talking to yourself like some sort of psycho.”

“Well, that’s just rude,” I replied and slowly lowered myself to grab him by the front of his jacket.  My fist slammed hard into his stomach with a loud blow.  The man coughed.  Blood splattered onto the shoulder of my cape from his broken nose. “You got blood on me,” I growled and grabbed him by the throat next to have him sit up. “Aren’t you going to apologize?”

“Fuck you,” the man spat…literally…all over my face.

I wiped the wet specks off my face with the back of my glove. “You have quite a mouth on you, but I’m willing to overlook it if you give me what I want,” I hissed at the man as I briefly tightened my grip on his neck.

“Kenny—,” Life said in a warning tone.

“You think I’m going to tell you anything?” the man asked against the pressure I had wrapped around his neck. “You can go fuck yourself, psycho.”

My grip tightened again.  The man gagged as he fought to get air to his lungs. “Kenny!” Life shouted.

“Shut up and let me work,” I thought back to him, silencing him but not without the breathy sigh he gave. “You’re going to tell me what I want to know because lowlife scum like you only care about one thing, your own ass.  So, I can either beat you to hell like I did at the Vault months ago, or you can tell me where the hell your boss is and keep your damn dignity.”

The man stared at me with squinted eyes before he struggled to scoff. “It was you,” he said hoarsely. “That fucking kid at the club.  It was you,” he managed to gasp.

“That’s right, I’m the one that single-handedly served your ass to you on a silver, fucking, platter.  Now you’ll remember my face for years whenever you think about how much of a sad waste of space you are,” I spat angrily and loosened my grip so he could finally catch his breath. “I have no patience for this shit right now.  So, tell me where the hell your boss is before I start breaking fingers.  If you decide against telling me when the last finger is broken, I won’t hesitate to move on to other appendages until you’re nothing more than a pile of broken bones.”

“You’re nothing but bark, kid.  There’s no bite to you, hero,” the gang member grumbled in a low voice. “Besides, I’m not scared of you.  You’re soft, just like he boss told us.  You don’t have the guts to do what needs to be done.”

“We’ll just see about that.”

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

_The high school cafeteria was loud.  There was something going on in the center of the room and I knew exactly what it was creating the racket.  It was always the same._

_“Dammit Cartman, stop being such a fatass!” Kyle screamed._

_“Ey!  I’m not fat, I’m big boned, ya filthy Jew!” the high-pitched voice of Cartman echoed above all the other noise._

_I stopped within view of the table where my friends sat.  They were loud and food was being thrown between Stan and Craig.  Typical.  They were always so loud.  I didn’t want loud.  I was so tired of loud.  I just wanted calm.  Some peace and quiet, and as I scanned the faces that sat at the table I knew where to go.  Lunch could wait.  I wasn’t really hungry anyways.  That seemed to be pretty common lately._

_My footsteps echoed along the empty hallway as I moved up to the second level.  Everyone was in the cafeteria where all the noise was which was just fine with me.  The door to the supplies closet was propped open by a small bucket, just like I thought it would be, and I could see the sunlight leaking through onto the hallway floor.  I carefully stepped through, making sure not to move the small bucket, just in case.  I wasn’t expecting the wind to be as strong as it was on the rooftop of the school.  I had to wrap my arms around myself to keep myself warm and hope that it wouldn’t carry me away.  I quickly scanned the rooftop until I spotted the rough, worn out sneaker in the air bobbing to a quick rhythm.  I tried to force back my smile as I moved across the rooftop to lean over the railing.  It was a far way down to the ground from the roof.  The thought that invaded my mind of tipping too far over the railing made my hands instantly damp._

_“What are you doing up here?” the familiar voice asked. “You’re scared of heights, Leopold.”_

_I chuckled softly before I turned my head to see Kenny sit up.  He was lying on the edge of the roof on the opposite side of the railing that anyone would want to be on.  There was nothing between him and possible death except his own judgement.  He sat up to lean against the railing with a wide, crooked grin.  He always had such a goofy smile.  It was infectious._

_“Did you come all the way up here just to see me?” he asked teasingly with a melody to his tone._

_I hummed gently in my throat.  My knuckles rubbed together nervously.  I would have been telling the truth, and I would have been lying if I said no. “Kyle and Eric are fighting again.  It was…too loud down there,” I answered._

_“Is that so?” he asked suspiciously like he didn’t believe me.  He chuckled softly when I frowned and crossed my arms tightly over my chest. “Well, you should be used to that by now,” he added as he carefully pushed himself up to his feet. “Kyle called Cartman a fat ass and Cartman responds by calling him a filthy Jew.  It’s the same every time.”_

_I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped my throat. “I think I’m impressed you know that so well,” I explained._

_“It comes from years of experience,” Kenny replied with a small wave of his hand and was walking along the edge of the roof, balancing with one foot carefully placed in front of the other. “When you only sit and listen to them for about ten hours a day for the majority of your life, you—,” he was rambling but stopped when his foot slipped and he was suddenly falling away from the railing.  He reached out to grab the only thing that could have been keeping him from falling to crushed bones and bleeding but his fingertips slipped past the metal._

_I wasn’t sure how I managed to move when it felt like ice had formed in my veins where my blood was supposed to be.  It should have frozen me solid, but it didn’t stop me from reaching out to grab his arm.  When my hand wrapped around him I pulled hard, maybe a little too hard.  He slammed against the railing with a loud grunt and his hand was on my chest, just over where my heart was racing in my chest.  I couldn’t tell if it was the adrenaline or if it was him pressed up against me that made it pound so quickly but I knew if we stayed like that for too long he’d feel it.  He might have been able to hear it if we were both quiet enough._

_“Wow, thanks Buttercup,” Kenny said with a small chuckle.  The look of worry he had for a moment was quickly replaced by that crooked grin of his. “What would I do without you, huh?” he asked and I felt his hand move to touch my cheek. “You’re my knight in shining armour,” he teased.  I felt…electricity where he touched me.  It was strange. “Ugh,” Kenny suddenly sounded as he quickly jerked his hand away.  He chuckled softly and looked down at his hand. “Huh, strange.”_

_I opened my mouth slightly to respond.  I don’t know what was going to possibly come out of my mouth, but I had to say something.  There was no time before the school bell rang loudly.  I jumped and took a step back instinctively.  Kenny laughed again as he lifted his legs over the railing to safety. “It’s not funny,” I said as I crossed my arms stiffly over my chest._

_“I know, but I can’t help teasing you,” Kenny said as he stepped up beside me.  His hand gently brushed against my cheek before resting on my shoulder.  The touch sent a tingle down my back that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand.  He was leaned in towards me, close enough that I felt his warm breath against my cheek despite the cold air around us. “Don’t look sad, Butters.  I don’t like to see you sad.  I want to see you smile, not cry.  I never want to see you cry.”_

“Hey!” the gang member snapped and kicked my chair again.  The vibration through my seat made my aching body throb.  Everything hurt.  The multiple blows and cuts had taken their toll on me.  I had been disoriented since the moment my unit door was kicked in and I was knocked unconscious.  I was in and out of the darkness over the course of what I could only assume was hours.  I’d be woken up to be assaulted a bit before shoved back into the corner and forgotten about until they wanted their plaything again.  What was frustration was that it took me far too long to realize what was going on.

 _“Do you see, Mr. McCormick?”_ Wrath’s voice said.  I couldn’t silence Death in my head.  Fate had me and the next step was already planned out.  Just like every other lifetime, our ending was coming.

“Man, this guy is such a space head,” the gang member said as he crouched in front of me to tilt his head slightly so he was in front of my face.  I lifted my head slightly to try to focus my blurred vision on him.  It hurt.  He was wearing my helmet crookedly. “When are we going to have some actual fun, boss?  I’m starting to get bored here,” the man explained with a whiny tone like what you would hear from a bratty kid.

“If you are bored, you can go outside and watch for our guest of honour to arrive,” Wrath replied in a flat tone. “Now,” he added with a loud snap when he realized the gang member hadn’t even made the effort to move.

The gang member scoffed before he stood to sway out of the room.  I struggled to lift my head but I was finally conscious enough to try to take in my surroundings.  The room was dark and bare.  My first thought was that we were inside an abandoned office building with cobwebs hanging from large metal beams.  Wrath and I were in a smaller room, probably what was a conference room once from the long table shoved against the wall and rolling chair that had long lost its wheels I sat on, with a wall of windows that had long lost their glass.  Wrath stood in front of one of the windows looking out at the dark sky.  It was late at night, probably past midnight.

“I have to admit,” Wrath suddenly said and I flinched at the pain that stabbed me in the stomach, “I am surprised.  I did my research on everyone around Mr. McCormick once I discovered he was Life’s vessel.  I was intrigued with whoever it was that carried Death.  Whoever he was managed to evade me in England and then completely disappear as if nothing had happened.  Then he reappeared here without so much as a tiny flicker of energy my way.  I mean, you actually used Life’s energy as a mask to keep away from me, which is absolutely brilliant.”

“Death’s idea,” I managed to say in a low voice.  It was too painful to say too much.

Wrath slowly turned to face me.  His dark eyes were bold and nerving. “Of course, it was.  Death has always been a strategic mastermind.  Which is why you have surprised me.  I immediately crossed you off my list of possibilities when I was researching.  Sick for most of your life.  A normal childhood with normal parents.  Never reported to have left South Park before you moved here to Denver, but that was just a lie.  I never would have known it was a lie if it weren’t for Alex.  A traitor without even realizing it.”

“It was only ever a matter of time before you figured out it was me,” I explained breathlessly.  I was struggling through my lungs that had taken a force in the beating.

Wrath scoffed. “Who would have thought it would have been Alex to rat you out.  No matter how hard Mr. McCormick fought, he can’t change destiny.”

I tried to scoff but it turned into heavy coughing from deep in my sore lungs. “You obviously don’t know him very well,” I said with a small, amused grin. “If there’s one thing about Kenny that you need to know, it’s that he will do whatever the hell he wants.  There’s no telling him where to go or what to do,” I explained and shook my head slowly. “So, destiny ain’t got shit on him.”

Wrath took an intimidating step towards me.  He was towering above me but stopped when his phone started to ring from the inner pocket of his jacket.  He let it ring.  I tried to hide the nerves that made my hands tied behind my back shake.

Wrath let out a heavy sigh. “What?” he answered bitterly as he finally pressed the phone to his ear.  He listened for a moment.  I could hear the deep voice but my hearing wasn’t as good as Kenny’s for me to make out any distinctive words.

“Leopold, we have to find an escape,” Death spoke up softly. “We cannot let Life and his vessel surrender to Fate.”

“I know,” I responded mentally.

“Nothing is broken.  You just need to get your bearings and we can escape,” Death snapped.

“That is easier said than done.  My body hurts.  Everything hurts,” I responded.

“You have to ignore it.  Get the hell out, now!” Death shouted.

Wrath’s lips were turning up into a thin, sly grin. “Excellent.  Make sure the last two are placed and then call me back.  I want this all done tonight, before sunrise,” he replied and moved the phone away from his ear to hang up on whoever was on the other end.

“Want all of what done tonight?” I fought to ask.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer but I couldn’t help my curiosity to ask.

Wrath looked down at me with a small chuckle.  He leaned forward with his hands on the arms of the chair I sat in.  It was already unstable under my weight so the added pressure made the metal groan underneath me.  Wrath was leaned close.  My back tingled as his energy crawled across my skin.

“My final plan, Mr. Stotch,” Wrath whispered in a low voice. “Come on, you know how this always goes.  We run around each other for a while, playing our game of cat and mouse, and then we find ourselves in the final round.  Life sacrifices himself for you because caring leads one nowhere but to sorrow.  Then he helps me carry out my plan, if you don’t kill him first.  Just when we think it’s all said and done, we start all over again,” he explained and lifted his hand to grab my chin when my head started to bob a bit.  I was finding it hard to keep it up with the pain in my spine. “We are in our final round, Mr. Stotch.  He will come, he will surrender, and then he will flip the switch on the detonator to restart the first wave of our revolution.”

“No, he won’t,” I responded hoarsely. “I remember the others before us.  I remember their faces, their personalities.  What I remember above all else is that none of them are anywhere near the same as Kenny.  They weren’t near as brave or as stubborn as him.  He’s spat in the face of this curse and refuses to bow down to the forces that are trying to push him down certain paths.  I know how this has gone before, but this is all different.”

A loud bang echoed through the room.  Wrath’s eyes widened as he stood and quickly spun around.  I spotted my metal helmet on the floor first.  The moonlight from outside glistened off it briefly before the light was cut off by a figure.  I slowly lifted my head to see the long, flowing cape moving in the breeze from the large window.  My heart sank in my chest.  It was him, and oh boy, I wish it wasn’t him.  I wished will all my heart that the pain was making me hallucinate him standing on the sill of the window.  I wished it wasn’t him, but of course it was him.  It was always him.

“No,” I heard pass through my lips.

Wrath was chuckling as he stepped to put himself between me and Kenny dressed as Mysterion.  I could feel it, this was it.  Wrath was right, we were in the final round.  This was it.

This is the end.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

I saw the reflection from across the street.  The gang member had led me to the abandoned street that had been occupied by squatters with only a few damaged fingers to take care of once he was conscious again.  There were a few gang members hanging out in plain sight around the old office building I was looking at specifically but none of them caught my eyes like the one that was walking around with the tilted metal helmet on his head.  I waited for him to break off from the others where I could get him quietly.  To be completely honest, I couldn’t be sure he’d walk away unscathed after our encounter when I left him unconscious on the ground.  I didn’t care enough to think about it as I scaled up the side of the building.  I could feel Wrath’s energy above.  Butters’ was small and overwhelmed by the strong darkness, but it was there.

I made it to the large opening in the wall and pulled myself up.  There they were.  Wrath was towering over Butters who was tied to an old, worn out chair.  He was battered, bloodied, and bruised. “I know how this has gone before, but this is all different.” I tossed the helmet to let it clatter against the floor and it was like a gun had been shot at the start of a race.  Wrath quickly spun around to face me.  His face twisted up with smug happiness.

“No,” Butters said with a breathless voice.  It was a no telling me to turn around, to walk away, to leave him behind.  _Like hell._

Wrath started to chuckle as he shifted his steps. “Like I said, he’ll always come for you,” he said over his shoulder to Butters who was fighting back the urge to let the tears that were resting in his large, blue eyes fall. “Mr. McCormick, nice of you to join us.”

I jumped down from the window to land hard on the unstable flooring. “Had a bit of a detour,” I replied bitterly.

“I hope you said your proper goodbyes to Kyle and Stan.  It’s always painful to say goodbye to friends but you should be used to it by now,” Wrath explained and snickered at his own petty words. “How many has it been now?  A couple hundred friends that—.”

I didn’t let him finish his high and mighty boasting. “I didn’t have to say goodbye because I wasn’t leaving,” I replied.  Wrath’s smile quickly snapped to a frown. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Wrath scoffed loudly as he rolled his eyes. “Come on, Mr. McCormick, we’ve been through this tirelessly.  Either you concede or he dies.  The rules don’t change.  They never have and they never will.”

“The rules may not have changed but my response has.  I will not concede.  I will not surrender.  You can take your empty threat, and you can shove it right up your tight ass,” I replied with a flat, unwavering tone.

Wrath’s expression would have been terrifying if I hadn’t been boiling with rage.  I was ready for him to move.  I could see his hand twitch at his side.  I had hit a nerve and that’s exactly what I wanted.  What I didn’t want was that when he moved, he moved away from me.  I felt my energy explode out my shoulder blades in the thick flame-like ribbons.  Butters cried out in pain.  The metal chair clattered against the floor as it was kicked aside.  Wrath stood with one arm wrapped around Butters’ neck and his other hand was placed over the blonde’s eyes.

“Let him go,” I warned in a low growl like an animal.  Thunder clapped outside in the distance.

“Kenny, be careful,” Life warned.

“If you hurt him, I will—,” I started to say but stopped when Wrath chuckled again.

“Oh, I’m not going to hurt him,” he explained and his voice was unsettlingly calm. “I’m going to let you do that.”

“No,” Life snapped. “Kenny, you have to stop him!”

I tried to move but my feet were stuck in place. “Just hang on.  This will only take a moment,” Wrath explained.

Bright violet light started to glow from under the man’s hand that covered Butters’ eyes.  Butters’ body went rigid as his breath hitched loudly in his throat before he began to scream.  I tried to move again.  My feet shuffled but I couldn’t completely break free from the hold that was wrapped around my ankles, weighing me down.  Butters continued to scream.  It was a loud, bloodcurdling scream that made my adrenaline spike.  I needed to break free.  I needed to get to him.  I needed to stop Wrath.

Then Butters went silent.  I stopped pulling against the force to watch with wide eyes.  Wrath slowly lowered his hand as he let his arm release from around Butters’ neck.  His hand gently ran through Butters’ hair as he whispered something I couldn’t hear.  Butters’ eyes were still glowing bright violet.  There was something wrong with them though.  They were vacant, soulless.  Something had happened.  It was also apparent in the limp way he stood and the way his head tilted slowly as Wrath continued to whisper to him.

“Butters!” I shouted loudly.  Wrath stopped.  Butters’ lifeless eyes shifted to look directly at me. “What the hell is going on?” I whispered.

“You wouldn’t know by seeing it because you’ve only ever experienced it before,” Life explained in a small voice.

“Kill him,” I heard Wrath say before he backed away from Butters.

“He’s lost control,” Life added and his voice shook.

Chaotic bolts of electricity formed from Butters’ hands and arms and he was suddenly launching himself from where he stood to sprint towards me.  Any other time I found myself face-to-face with him, even when he was pretending to be the villain, I always knew he was holding back.  I could feel the hesitation in his steps and the carefulness of his punches, but there was none of that when he rushed me.  I took a step back to avoid the right punch that barely grazed my nose.  The small sparks of electricity tingled my skin.

“Kenny, let me take over,” Life snapped demandingly.

“No,” I answered quickly before throwing my weight back again to avoid the second swing.  My back pressed against the windowsill and I barely had enough time to duck out of the way of the large bolt of electricity that shot from Butters’ fingertips.  I tumbled away and stood to grab at my arm where the burning pain was just below my shoulder.  The electricity had managed to graze me and it hurt like a bitch.

“Kenny!  You are too distracted in this fight.  You do not have the mindset to win against him,” Life growled in frustration. “Give me control and I will make sure you survive!”

“No!” I screamed back. “I won’t let you hurt him.”

“Then you’re going to die and all of this will be for nothing,” Life replied in a low voice.

Butters quickly spun around and he was running at me again. “No, it’ll all be for him.”

“Idiot,” Life whispered.

The blow was hard against my chest.  I went crashing through the brittle wall to land into the larger room next to the one we were in.  I landed hard on my back but quickly rolled to lift myself onto my hands and knees.  The metallic taste filled my mouth as blood came up from the cough I forced from my chest.  I wiped away whatever clung to my chin.  The heavy boots were thumping closer behind me and picking up the pace.  I quickly rolled away to avoid the fist but I couldn’t avoid the shockwave that came from Butters’ energy colliding with the floor.  I tried to push myself up to my feet but the floor shook underneath me.  The floorboards were cracking and then gave away from the blow against it.  Everything moved quickly as the floor crumbled into pieces and I was falling.

I was always falling.  Since I was a kid, I was falling.  I could never get my feet planted underneath me.  I was just spinning and flipping through a dark void with no idea what was up or down.  Poor house.  Druggie mother and father.  A baby sister to raise when I was just a kid myself.  An absent brother I fought hard to keep around.  I just wanted to keep it all together.  It was a messed up, broken home, but it was mine.  No matter what I tried to do though, I was always falling through the darkness, until a hand reached out and took mine.

My body was sore.  I could tell my face was scratched up and bruised from the falling debris.  Sharp pieces of flooring poked into my throbbing back as I laid trying to get my bearings.  I coughed up whatever dust had made its way into my lungs.  I didn’t know your insides could hurt before that moment.  I was trying to gather the strength to get up with my shaking limbs when my eyes shot open when I felt hands wrap around my throat to press hard, cutting off any air to my lungs.  Butters was knelt over me.  His glowing violet eyes were still dead.  Even though they were focused on me, they weren’t looking at me.  They were looking through me, like he didn’t even know I was there.

“Butters,” I gasped as I reached up to grab his wrists.  My fingers dug into his joint and he didn’t even flinch.  I could have bruised him and I don’t think he would have even blinked. “Butters, let go, please,” I begged as tears naturally stung my eyes but he didn’t. “I need to get through to him,” I thought.

“There is no way to get through to him, Kenny,” Life replied. “He has lost control.  He is too far gone to reach.  You have to fight back, that’s the only way you’ll walk away alive.”

“Butters, you have to stop.  I can’t—,” I struggled through the pressure crushing down against my throat.  I was on the verge of losing consciousness.  The vignette edges of my vision was growing.  Life was shouting but I couldn’t hear him through the ringing in my ears.  My grip was loosening around his fist.  Just as I was about to give in to the darkness, Butters let go of me with one hand to slam his fist against my face.  The blow was enough to make my ears ring and my head spin.  I fought through the disorientation of my head. “Butters,” I whispered and another blow split my lip open.  I gasped loudly.  The darkness was receding a bit but I was still slowly losing consciousness.  I could see the bright flickering of violet light from the sparks of energy from Butters’ fist.  He was pulling it back for another blow.

“Kenny!” Life screamed above all the noise in my head.

My shaking hand lifted to grab onto the front of Butters’ shirt. “It’s okay.” Butters’ raised arm stopped.  His fist shook. “Leopold listen to me.  No matter what happens, I need you to know that it’s alright,” I said and felt the hand on my throat loosen just enough for me to let in a strangled breath that cleared away most of the darkness.  He still had a tight enough hold on me to keep me in place but there was hesitation. “Whatever happens, you can’t blame yourself.  You can’t be upset.  You can’t be angry or sad.  You’re not allowed to because it’s not your fault,” I continued to say and Butters’ eyebrows shifted as he blinked a few times. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you the way you’ve saved me.  I’m sorry I let you down, Leo.  Please, forgive me.” I don’t know if the tears that formed were from the pain, the dust, the lack of air, or from my own emotions, but they fell and wouldn’t stop.  I chuckled softly at my own pathetic demeanor but it turned into soft sobs as my grip tightened on Butters’ shirt. “Shit, Leopold, I love you.  I’ve been in love with you since the beginning and every day since then.  I’ve been in love with you even when I hated you and I am going to keep going until the very fucking end.  No matter how painful it is, I can’t stop.  Believe me, I’ve tried, but I can’t.” I said in a low voice and let my hand slip away from its grip to fall next to me. “It’s okay,” I whispered and closed my eyes.

I could hear the small zapping of the electricity increase in intensity.  I knew what was coming.  I knew what was next and yet my heart was strangely calm.  I could feel pain from all the previous lifetimes.  The pain of knowing I had let him down over and over again.  The pain of betraying him in lifetimes where he was my friend, my family, and my love.  There we were again.  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t change our fate.

Butters suddenly let out a loud scream and I felt all points of contact from him release.  My eyes snapped open again in confusion.  Butters was thrashing against an arm wrapped around his neck as a hand was pressed to the side of his head.  Officer Remis stood behind him holding tightly as he clawed his fingernails into the skin of her forearm.

“When I made you promise not to allow yourself to be taken, this is not the alternative that I meant for you!” Remis shouted in frustration as she struggled to keep her hold on the thrashing blonde.  
“So, you mind holding him down before he claws his way through my arm?” she snapped loudly to me.  I quickly scrambled up and grabbed Butters’ wrists.  He was still fighting back with fierce intensity but he couldn’t break free. “If you want to bring him back then you need to hold him long enough for me to fix him!” Remis shouted.

“Fix him?  How?” I asked in confusion as I fought to control Butters.

“I don’t know how the hell it works, I’m just listening to what the voice is telling me.  And what she’s telling me is that you need to hold him,” Remis snapped in response.

I was still confused but did as I was told.  I moved Butters’ arms to pin them to his sides as I wrapped my arms around him.  Our chests were pressed hard together as I squeezed him tightly. “Come back to me, Leopold,” I whispered with my forehead pressed against his. “Come back.”

The small ribbons of grey energy that flickered from Remis’ fingers caught my eyes.  She had her eyes closed, her forehead wrinkled as her eyebrows furrowed together. “I—I can’t—ugh—He’s fighting against me,” she said with a strained tone and a tense jaw. “You have to keep talking to him.  He’ll come back to you, you just have to help him find his way back.”

I exhaled sharply through my nose. “Come on, Leo.  You have to come back so I can tell you everything properly.  I need to tell you how much I didn’t want you to leave.  I need to tell you how much I wanted you before you disappeared from me, how much I hated myself for never telling you, and how much I need you now,” I explained.  My energy reached out from my arms to reach around Butters and wrap him up in it.  I closed my eyes again. “I won’t survive.”

“Kenny,” Life whispered. “Can you feel it, Kenny?”

“Where the hell are you?” Remis hissed quietly.

“Can I—?” I started to ask the voice in my head.

“Got you!” Remis yelled.

Butters let out a loud shout in pain and suddenly his body went limp in my arms.  He wasn’t moving.  I didn’t want to open my eyes. “K—Kenny?” Butters croaked as his hands gently touched my sides. “It hurts.”

My eyes were wide.  I moved a little faster than my head could keep up as I let go of him to lean away.  Remis let go of Butters in one movement as she stepped back.  Her energy retreated back into her hands.  I was holding tightly onto Butters’ arms.  It was the only way to keep myself from shaking. “Butters,” I said with a small smile.

“What happened?” he asked confusingly.

I chuckled and slowly shook my head. “You kicked my ass, that’s what happened,” I answered and gently brushed my hand against his scuffed cheek that was wounded during the floor’s collapse.  Butters flinched but didn’t move away from my touch. “It was kind of a turn on.  But you scared the shit out of me,” I added as my voice slowly lowered to a quiet whisper.

Butters stared at me for a moment before I saw the panic set in.  His eyes were darting back and forth to look at anything except me as his chest heaved with heavy breaths. “I—I lost control,” he stammered nervously.  His hands were pressed together to rub painfully. “I could feel him in my head.  It—It’s like—It’s like he tied a leash around me and all I could hear was him.”

“Butters, stop,” I snapped as I let go of his arms to grab his hands.

“I hurt you.  I was gonna—Kenny, I was—,” he was saying in a quick, panic induced voice.

“Butters,” I snapped but he was too far gone.

He was continuing his panicky rant.  He wasn’t making any sense.  His entire body was shaking violently.  He squeezed his eyes shut.  I had to stop him.  I had to get him to think, to focus.

“Focus, Kenny,” Life whispered.

I let go of one of Butters’ hands to press my palm against his cheek.  His mouth was open to let out whatever nervous sentence was trapped in his mind.  I held him steady as I roughly pressed our lips together.  Butters went rigid at first.  He wasn’t expecting it, but it didn’t take long for him to settle into the feeling.  Heads tilted as lips moved.  I broke first when his body finally stopped shaking so violently to examine his face.  He was calm but there was still a hint of worry in his eyes.

“You’re back, that’s all that matters,” I said with relief as I let my thumb brush gently over his cheek.

“Wow, that’s really beautiful,” Remis suddenly spoke up.  Butters and I both looked up at her as she stood with her hand perched dramatically on her hips. “Really, it’s so sweet.  But as wonderful as this is to watch, do you think maybe we can hold off until later?  I’m pretty sure there’s more important things right now.”

Butters’ eyebrows narrowed together quizzically. “Um, who are you?” he asked in a small voice.

“I admit I’m a little hurt, Death,” Remis replied which only made Butters even more confused.

“Butters, this is Officer Remis,” I answered and grinned. “Also known as Will.”

Butters turned his head to look back at me.  His eyebrows were still furrowed together and then they slid apart as his eyes widened. “Will?” he asked confusingly and then scrambled to his feet to step up to Remis. “Wait, you’re the fourth vessel?”

Remis was startled by the sudden burst of excitement from Butters. “I am,” she answered flatly.

“How—How did—?” he started to ask but stopped to turn to face me. “Kenny, how did you—?”

“I’m not sure,” I answered with a shake of my head. “It doesn’t matter though.  What matters is that we have a way to end this now.”

“Because we have the key to stopping the curse,” Butters whispered with realization in his tone.  I nodded.  The look of worry returned to his face.  It was deeper than before.  A thought had crossed his mind that made him suddenly turn pale. “Tonight.  We have to do it tonight,” he said and I heard the shake in his voice.

I tilted my head slightly in confusion. “Why?” I asked.

“Wrath has bombs and he’s planning on detonating them before sunrise,” Butters explained in a panicked voice.

Remis tensed noticeably. “How many?” she asked in a lowered voice.

Butters shook his head rapidly. “I don’t know.  He was on the phone shortly before Kenny showed up and he was ordering whoever was on the other end to finish setting up the last two.  I’m guessing that means we don’t have a lot of time.”

“Then we end it now,” I said as I struggled to push myself to my feet.  My limbs were still weak. “We hit hard and fast and don’t give Wrath any room to wiggle away.”

Remis scoffed loudly.  I turned my head to glare at her. “Look, you two are strong, I can tell that much, but Phillip is far more in tune with his energy than any of us.  He knows your weaknesses and how to use them against you.  And the worst of all, he has no weakness.  He has nothing to fear losing.  Why else do you think you’ve done nothing but fight and lose for centuries?”

“Everyone has a weakness, Officer Remis,” I snapped in response to her pessimism.  She frowned deeply to create deep wrinkles in her cheeks. “Even Wrath has a weakness, we just didn’t have it, until now,” I explained sternly. “Butters and I can take care of wearing Wrath down.  We don’t need to win against him, we just need to get him to the point where you can get close enough to him that we can end this curse.”

Remis stared at me before she let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what it is about you, McCormick, but you are unlike anyone I’ve ever met before,” she explained as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I’ve never met anyone so blindly optimistic,” she admitted.

“Thank you?” I replied confusingly.

“I don’t think that was a compliment,” Butters leaned over to whisper to me.

“It was not,” Remis confirmed with a frown. “But since your friends, Kyle and Stan, went through all the trouble to come find me and convince me to do this, I have no choice but to help you end this nonsense.”

“Okay, fine, but only if you admit that my blind optimism is going to help us win this.  When it gets dark, you’re going to wish you had it around,” I retaliated.

Remis rolled her eyes dramatically. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” she mumbled and then started to turn. “Now let’s go.  Phillip isn’t far.”

I moved to follow her but a hand quickly caught my arm to stop me.  I quickly spun my head around to face the blonde staring up at me with wide, unblinking eyes. “What is it?  What’s wrong?” I asked worriedly.

“I—um—,” he started to say but stopped himself when his bottom lip quivered.  My eyebrows furrowed together.  I lifted my hand to gently brush the soft skin of his cheek.  Even with the small wounds that covered him, it was still so soft.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” I whispered.

Butters exhaled softly.  His eyes moved away from mine to travel down just below my nose.  I knew what was coming next.  I was starting to know that look so well.  Him silently asking for courage to get what he wanted.  He never had to worry about it though.  He took a step forward so our chests were pressed together as his hands found their way up to my neck.  I closed my eyes before his lips touched mine when I felt the gentle tingle of electricity pass between us.  There was something wrong with the way he kissed me.  I couldn’t know for sure what it was, but I could tell there was something.  He was shy, no matter how many times we kissed, but at that moment there was almost a sense of urgency.  A feeling of desperation I hadn’t felt from him before.  He pulled away but didn’t move far.

“Are you going to tell me now?” I asked worriedly.

Butters slowly shook his head. “No, it’s nothing, just—just be careful out there.”

“Of course, I’ll have you out there to protect me,” I replied and was the first to step back away from him.  I didn’t want to.  I wanted to keep asking, to keep pushing for him to answer me, but there was no time.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

Remis was right, Wrath wasn’t far.  We tracked his energy to a building a few streets over.  It was another abandoned building that used to be a factory with large sheets of plywood covering all the windows.  Inside was all one large room with a balcony across the long space and scattered across the room were barrels, bags of different material, and pieces of metal.  I didn’t know anything about explosives, but I was smart enough to piece together what was in front of me.

“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised you’re here,” Wrath’s voice travelled from across the room where he stood on the balcony that looked out over the entire room. “The way we’ve come to the end may have been different this time, but it has always been the same outcome.  Though you aren’t quite who I originally imagined pulling the trigger on my plan this time you’ll do just nicely.” His hands wrapped around the rough metal railing of the balcony.  It looked unstable.  Spots of the steel were rusted and there were even broken parts close to where he stood. “You’re a formidable opponent, Death.  I feared you because of your ability to cause destruction wherever you went, but it seems even Death can fall into the hands of weakness.”

I wanted to respond.  Death was writhing under my skin, waiting for me to let him out, but I had to stay quiet.  I had to keep the soulless façade for just a little while as Kenny’s plan unfolded.  I just had to wait.  I just had to listen.

“Love is a weakness.  Unfortunately, Mr. McCormick had to learn that the hard way, again,” Wrath said with a small chuckle.

“Leopold, you must stay calm.  I can feel your energy increasing,” Death spoke up.

“Well, it doesn’t matter now.  All that matters is the next step,” Wrath explained with his sinister grin. “Undying loyalty to me as we spread chaos and wrath throughout the world.  One city at a time.”

“Kenny,” I thought.  I was starting to get anxious. “Kenny, where are you?”

“Come here, Death.  Let’s take what is rightfully ours in this world.  Let us take back—!” Wrath was shouting when one of the large pieces of plywood suddenly flew from covering a window far to his left.  He spun around just in time to avoid having the large sheet slam against him when he took a step back.

The bright flash of gold light through the new opening was blinding.  Kenny flew through the opening and everything slowed down to an impossible speed.  The way his energy formed from his shoulder blades to make large, feathery wings made of white and gold was like watching something out of a myth come to life.  His feet barely touched the ground before he pushed off to lunge towards Wrath who was gaining his bearings.  He didn’t move quick enough to block the blow that Kenny landed against his cheek.  The thing about hitting Wrath though was that there was always retaliation.  His energy shot from his arm to slam against Kenny, knocking him away to slam against the wall.

“Kenny!” I screamed at the top of my lungs as dust and debris covered Kenny.

“Impossible!” Wrath shouted back above all the noise.  His voice boomed and echoed through the building.  I felt ice slide through my veins at the sound of his tone.

“Get ready, Leopold,” Death snapped.

“How did you gain your control?” Wrath spun around to face me as he asked. “It is impossible that you managed to break free and regain control.”

The deep laughter that echoed off the walls was bone chilling, worst than Wrath’s carrying voice.  The cloud of dust and debris was settling and I watched as Kenny removed his cape from around his neck.  It had its patches over rips and burns made over the course of the months he had been Mysterion.  The fall through the floor in the abandoned building before had created a large rip I noticed as we were leaving and the blow from Wrath only made it worst.

“Maybe now you’ll stop underestimating us,” Kenny explained and grabbed his worn-out mask to remove it and discarded it along with his cape.

“Death,” I said in a low voice.

“Yes, Leopold,” the familiar voice replied.

“One more time,” I whispered. “Help me one more time.”

Silence.  Black energy was wrapping around Wrath’s arms like slick serpents as the large wings out Kenny’s back reached out as if to stretch out at the sides, making him seem larger than he was. “Of course, Leopold.”

Wrath moved to take a step forward but stopped when the bolt of electricity passed by him to strike the wall.  He spun around to face me again. “Enough of this nonsense,” he growled and waved his hand.  The barrels around me shook and suddenly launched from the floor.  I dodged a few of them.

“To your left, Leopold!” Death shouted.

I quickly spun around but the long, sharp pole was too close for me to dodge out of the way.  The sharp end pierced the flesh of my arm I lifted to shield myself.  It was all I could do against the projectile.  I cried out in pain as the metal pierced through my skin.  Then I saw the flash of gold as an arm wrapped around my waist.  The pole was removed before it broke too far through my arm but there was still the pain.  I clutched onto my forearm as a hand gently touched my cheek.

“Are you alright?” Kenny asked.

I nodded even through the pain and blood that seeped through my fingers. “I’m okay,” I answered.

Kenny had a hold of my cape to tear off a long strip of the fabric. “Remember to keep your distance,” Kenny whispered as he wrapped the fabric around my arm where the wound was. “We just need time.”

“Ah!” I screamed as he tied off the fabric as tightly as my arm would let him. “Kenny—.”

Wrath landed hard on the main floor.  Kenny quickly spun around, he placed himself in front of me with the pole he removed from me to rest over his shoulder. “Your weakness will be the end of you both,” Wrath said and there was something changed in his voice.  There was a second voice, lower and deeper, that overlapped his own.

“Jeez, you sound like a damn broken record,” Kenny replied bitterly. “Plus, let’s not forget that you’re the one outnumbered right now.  So, it doesn’t seem like such a bad idea to have someone to watch your back.”

“We’ll see about that,” Wrath said as he lifted his hand to point towards us.  There was no delay as the black energy shot from his fingertips in a steady stream.  I quickly moved around Kenny and lifted my hand.  I snapped my fingers to send my energy out in the bolts of electricity.  Our energy collided in a flash of black and violet.  The force of it made me step back.  My back pressed against Kenny’s solid chest.

“Butters—,” Kenny started to say but I stopped him when I grabbed his hand.

“I’ve got it.  I’ve got him.  It’s your turn now,” I said and turned my head to meet his worried gaze. “I’ve got your back, now go get him.”

Kenny replied with a sharp nod before he sprang forward.  He disappeared behind a large stack of metal material as I turned my attention back to the long stream of electricity shooting from my fingertips to hold back the dark energy.

“Are you ready, Leopold?” Death asked, his voice was low.

“Of course, I am, but first I just—,” I started to say but stopped myself to swallow the solid lump in my throat. “Thank you for everything.”

I felt the wave of energy travel from the center of my chest to leave my fingers in a strong burst of electricity.  The burst pushed back the energy trying to make its way to me enough for me to step aside.  The dark energy passed by me to strike the wall in a strong explosion that shook the building.  Electricity crackled and zapped as it flickered off my arms and hands.  I reached up to unhook the clasps of my cape to let it flutter to the ground.  The removal of the weight created a freer feeling I felt along my spine.  My hand flew up again to send the bolts of electricity flying with a flick of my wrist.  They struck the dark shield of energy that quickly formed over Wrath.  The electricity exploded out in a ring from the floor to the ceiling, striking anything it could touch.

Wrath immediately retaliated.  He waved his hand and a pallet of material launched from the floor to fly at me.  I quickly ducked behind a stack of wooden pallets to use it as a shield.  The loud bang followed by an even louder cry in pain caught my attention as objects slammed against the stack of pallets my back was pressed against.  I quickly spun around to see Kenny pull back the long pole he was wielding so he could slam his foot into Wrath, knocking him back a few steps.  He let out a loud growl full of frustration and anger.  I could see him lift his hand.  I stepped up on top of a large crate to see over everything and with another snap of my fingers my energy shot from my hand.  Kenny’s energy formed in the large wings wrapped around himself when he noticed the approaching flash of violet.  Wrath noticed Kenny bracing.  The man was quick, but my energy was quicker.  The electricity struck with a loud pop.  I was panting slowly as I waited for the smoke to settle.  The shoulder of Wrath’s jacket was burnt away and his skin was red and damaged.

The room fell eerily silent.  Strong tension filled the space.  When I realized what was going on, it was already too late.  The pallet at the top of the stack I had used as cover only moments before shook before it flew from the top.  I couldn’t react before it slammed against me and carried me backwards.

“Butters!” I heard Kenny’s voice echo from across the room.

I couldn’t move.  I was pinned against the solid wood as it flew towards the doors I entered through.  I closed my eyes.  It was the only thing I could do as I waited for the pain. “Do not worry, Leopold,” Death spoke softly.  I heard the crash behind me.  Small pieces of something flew against my back. “I’ve got your back.”

The pallet suddenly caught on something and I was being thrown back through the air with the building in front of me.  I managed the small gasp of air before I crashed against the concrete road.  The impact sent sharp pain through my shoulder and back as I came rolling to a stop.  Rain fell against the surface of the road around me.  It started raining shortly after we left the abandoned office building and was falling heavier.  I was almost instantly soaked lying staring up at the sky.  I had stared up at that sky so many times before.  It was always the same set of stars against a black canvas of space but in that brief moment staring up through the rain, everything was different.  All I wanted to do was see the stars.  Just for a little while longer.  That’s all I wanted.

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

My heart stopped.

“Butters!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.  I couldn’t get to him, even if I tried, but then the electricity shot from his back in a heavy wave that blew a hole through the door just big enough for him to fly through.  I breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ve had enough of this shit,” Wrath snapped and I saw the flash of dark energy.  My right energy wing moved to block Wrath’s strike.  The blow was heavy.  I felt it pulsate through my body and made the wing shudder as my energy flickered.  I took a step back as the pole I held on to fell from my hand when my body flinched at the pain through my spine. “I can’t kill you,” Wrath growled and a hand was suddenly wrapped around my throat.  I grabbed his wrist and my left wing pinned back his other arm pulled back ready to strike. “But I can kill him.  And oh, what a shame it will be to watch him die.”

“You won’t touch him,” I snapped back.  The bottom of my foot slammed into his stomach to make him stumble back.  Disconnecting from him allowed me to put some distance between us.  The burlap bags full of a powder material exploded behind me as I dove in behind cover.  I ducked my way between obstacles of wooden pallets and metal barrels, using the materials to my advantage to avoid getting hit by Wrath’s onslaught of energy.  I made it to the doors to push through and immediately stepped out into the rain. “Butters,” I whispered quietly when I saw him lying on his back in the middle of the road.  My body was moving.  I was moving towards him. “Butters!” I called out loudly above the pattering rain.  Butters slowly turned his head to look at me.  The bright violet colour was flickering from his eyes.  He slowly lifted a shaky hand, small sparks of electricity formed from his fingertip as he pointed towards me.

“Behind…you,” he croaked out through strangled breath.

I stopped moving.  I heard the whistling behind me.  I quickly spun around but it was too late.  The force from the steel rebar forced me backwards when it struck me.  The bar sliced through my shoulder and pierced into the side of the car parked next to the sidewalk.  The scream that I forced from my lungs was loud and echoed off the buildings around me.  Flesh was torn.  Bones were broken.  Blood seeped from the wound to travel down my arm and disappear under my glove.  I panted heavily as I reached up to grab the rebar with shaking hands.  It was jammed into the vehicle I was pressed against and wouldn’t budge.

“Stay there,” Wrath growled as he stepped out of the building.  He was holding onto another piece of steel rebar tightly in his hand as his energy floated around it.  His footsteps splashed against the small puddles forming on the concrete.  He stopped and moved the steel bar to slam the end of it against the ground.  The impact made the rebar ring loudly. “What was the plan?  Kill me?  Trap me?  When has that ever worked?” he snapped over the sound of the rain. “I have always won!  I will always win.  In this lifetime and in the next and all the rest that will follow.  The sooner you two understand that, the better.”

The small chuckling came from Butters still lying on the ground.  It slowly escalated to loud laughter before he let out a long sigh. “It’s so much simpler than that,” he said and turned his head again to smile at Wrath. “Our plan, idiot.  We just had to get you outside.”

Wrath’s eyebrows furrowed together.  He opened his mouth to respond but stopped himself.  His eyes slowly widened.  For the first time I saw fear.  Pure, genuine fear across his face.  He moved slowly as he turned. “Elizabeth,” he said breathlessly.  Remis stopped in the middle of the street after she stepped out from the darkness between the buildings.  Her grip tightened around her pistol at her side as she locked eyes with Wrath. “A fourth vessel.”

“Under your nose the entire time.  That must just burn you up, Phillip,” Remis explained in a flat tone.

Wrath scoffed.  I inhaled sharply at the pain.  The twisted steel tore at my flesh as I tried to move.  My head spun and I almost blacked out but managed to keep my shaking legs underneath me. “Kenny, you may be immortal but you’re not immune to pain,” Life piped up. “You’re going to pass out if you continue.”

“I’ll admit, I was not expecting this kind of a turn, but I can feel your energy.  You have no strength and that pistol is useless in your hands,” Wrath explained. “I know you, Elizabeth, and I know you’re still a cop with a good moral compass first and I’m still the father of your kid.”

“Phillip, you’ve done terrible things.  You’ll continue to do terrible things if you’re not stopped,” Remis replied and I could hear the crack in her voice even through the rainfall. “I’ve known that for a while, but I haven’t done anything because I’m scared, but I will protect my son no matter what it takes.”

Wrath scoffed as he turned his head towards Butters.  I could hear it, the thoughts inside his head as he shifted the steel bar in his hand. “There’s only one way this will end,” he said. “It is my destiny.”

Have you ever seen an accident?  A car colliding with a guardrail or maybe a bike falling during a turn in a race?  Do you remember every detail in that moment or does it seem to happen in a flash and suddenly you’re standing there, wide eyed and mouth open wondering what the fuck just happened?  Well, if you can imagine that, you’re halfway to understanding what I felt next.

It was only flashes to me.  I barely braced myself before I ripped myself from the rebar.  I remember the flash of pain as I started to move was taken over by the rush of adrenaline that shot through my system.  I saw the pulse of violet light.  And then I heard the loud echoing bang over the sound of voices calling out my name.  Butters?  Life?  I couldn’t be sure who it was in the moment.  As the echoes settled over the rooftops, everything came to a standstill.  Shaking arms were wrapped around my waist.  My hand held tightly onto the wrist of the hand raised with the steel rebar ready to come down against my shoulder.  Wrath’s face was twisted up in confusion as his gaze slowly lowered along with mine.  Blood was soaking through his shirt around the end of the pistol pressed to his torso.

“I’m sorry, Phillip,” Remis whispered.  I quickly lifted my head.  My eyes were wide as I watched Remis press her forehead to Phillip’s. “You were right.  There’s only one way it will end.”

Phillip slowly lowered his hand.  I didn’t let go of his wrist as he dropped the rebar to let it clatter against the ground. “Mc—McCormick,” Phillip croaked.  He turned his head to face me as the darkness in his eyes gave away to return to its normal colour. “Thank you.”

The wave of energy that passed through me started from my feet and made its way up to my chest.  The bright glow of gold was blinding.  I had to close my eyes.  The energy in my chest was escaping bit by bit.  I reached out and grabbed the hand in front of me.

“Life!” I shouted.  He spun around.  His face was so much different.  He no longer looked like me.  He looked like someone else.  He looked like…pretty much exactly how I’d picture Life would look like as a human being with soft features and clean blonde hair. “What’s going on?”

“You did it, Kenny,” Life replied, his lips spread into a wide smile across his face. “You actually did it.  I knew you were going to be the one.  And yet, it doesn’t make our goodbye any easier.”

I opened my eyes with a deep inhale.  It was gone.  It was all gone.  It felt like pounds of weight was lifted from my chest and I felt lighter.  I tilted my head back to look up and floating just above my head was a small ball of gold light surrounded by the same ribbons of energy that I was used to wielding out my arms and back.  Floating next to it was three other balls of energy: violet, black, and grey.  I slowly shook my head.

“Fucking incredible,” I whispered in disbelief.  It was them.  Life, Death, Fate, and Will danced around each other in the rain and create patterns with their tails of light.  It was surreal.  Someone who had seemed so real, so human, was just a ball of light and energy.

“Kenny.” My eyebrows shifted together at the small sound of the voice calling out to me.  The arms that were wrapped around me suddenly let go and Butters was coughing loudly in painful hacks.  My chest tightened.  I quickly turned my head to look down and Butters was moving his shaking hand away from his face to show the crimson liquid in his palm that was quickly washed away by the rain.  Bright blue eyes met mine as he looked up at me.  Even through the rain I could tell he was crying. “I’m sorry.”

“About what?” I managed to ask through my nerves.  Butters hummed for a moment and then turned his head to cough up enough blood onto the road that made realization hit me like a fucking train.  I winced at the pain in my shoulder as I collapsed to my knees, but I didn’t care. “Butters, talk to me, please,” I begged.

His body suddenly slumped against me.  He was cold.  His body was shaking.  His breaths came out in short, raspy pants and he couldn’t stop coughing up blood. “Say your goodbye, Kenny,” a voice said from above me.  I quickly tilted my head back to look up at the small orbs of light above. “You do not have much time.”

Death.  I had never heard his voice before but somehow I knew it was him. “What the hell are you talking about?” I snapped. “What the hell is going on!”

“Kenny,” Life’s voice suddenly spoke up.  It was strange not hearing it in my head.  It was like he was actually there. “Calm down.  Listen.”

“Leopold was born with a broken body,” Death began to explain. “Normally, someone born with the body he has would not have lived this long.  With my energy to keep him together, he lived longer than he should have.  Without my energy—” He stopped.

I couldn’t breathe.  My arm wrapped around Butters was holding on tightly.  Probably too tightly but I couldn’t control it. “Why—Why didn’t he say anything?” I snapped. “Why didn’t he tell me!” I yelled. “Why the hell didn’t you do anything, you son of a bitch!  Why didn’t you stop me!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“You would have…tried to find another way,” Butters said softly into my chest.

“Your damn right I would have,” I snapped back angrily.  I didn’t want to be angry, but I couldn’t help it.  I couldn’t stop shaking.  I couldn’t stop my heart from racing.  I couldn’t stop the fear.  The fear of what I knew was coming next.

“But there is no other way,” he explained and wheezed loudly when he breathed in. “You can be mad at me, I deserve it, but don’t be mad at them.”

“Butters—,” I started to say.  I could feel the shake in my voice.  I couldn’t stop it.

“Say it again,” he said in a low voice.  I didn’t let go as he slowly pushed away to look up at me.  His eyes were dimming.  I was losing him.  And then, he smiled.  That same smile he always gave me and I couldn’t hold back the tears that fell from my eyes to mix with the rain. “I know it’s selfish, but please, say you love me again.”

I couldn’t hold back the sob that escaped my throat.  I tightened my arm around him to pull him against my chest.  I needed him.  I couldn’t do it without him.  _Don’t take him.  Please, don’t take him from me.  Not him!_

~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~

“How does the arm feel?”

I turned my head to look over at the red head standing beside me.  He was staring forward with a stern expression, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. “It’s stiff,” I answered and then moved my head again to look down at my arm.  It had barely been a day that the cast had come off and I was struggling to adjust to the feeling. “I can move it though, that’s all that matters.”

“Good,” Kyle replied in a quiet voice.

I shifted my eyes back to him.  He was frowning.  He did a lot of that lately.  I couldn’t blame him.  It hadn’t been the easiest week.  How do you begin to try to understand what the hell had happened, let alone try to explain it to someone else?  How do you wrap your head around it?  You can’t force your mind to believe something it tried so hard to deny.

“You couldn’t manage to talk him into coming?” Kyle asked.  I was surprised it took him as long as it did to ask.  I knew it was the question lingering closest to the tip of his tongue.  It must have taken a lot of will power to hold back.

I sighed loudly. “We can’t force him to come.  He’ll come when he wants to,” I answered as I scratched at my scalp. “There’s no forcing closure.  He’ll seek it out when he’s ready,” I answered bluntly.

“Stan—,” Kyle started to say with his demanding tone.

“Kyle,” I cut him off with my own equally strong tone. “He will come when he’s ready.”

He let out a small sigh.  He didn’t respond which was probably for the best.  Footsteps crunched softly against the gravel towards us.  We turned just as Alex came to a stop next to us. “You guys ready to go?” he asked.

“Are you?” Kyle asked softly.

Kyle was a lot softer around Alex.  Whether it was guilt or something else, I wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter because they didn’t grow apart.  Alex stepped up to Kyle to press his hands to my friend’s cheeks before he gently kissed his forehead.  Kyle leaned into the touch without hesitation.  Alex didn’t pull far away to speak.

“I’m fine.  Let’s go,” he said with a small smile.

He wasn’t fine, but it wasn’t my place to point that out.  I sat in the backseat of Alex’s car with my forehead pressed to the cold window.  Kyle and Alex held hands over the center console up front like it was the most natural thing in the world.  Alright, I was a little envious, sue me.  They were actually a pretty perfect couple, once they got over the stubbornness and fear, but I’d never admit it.

It wasn’t without their rough point though.  After that night of Kyle and I waiting impatiently at the apartment, Alex’s mother came clean about everything to him.  Kyle was there through the entire conversation that took up the entire day and most of the night.  Alex listened without saying a word and at the end he stood up and disappeared.  There was no word from him for twenty-four hours.  Not surprising considering he learned not only that his father was dead but the man was also planning on blowing up Denver, a plan that fell through quickly without a leader to guide the goons.  Then Alex showed up on our doorstop.  He was sleep deprived and a little drunk which led to him yelling, a lot.  Kyle took most of the assault without saying a thing and I stayed through it all.  I wasn’t exactly innocent.  Once all of the anger was released, there was nothing but tears.

The city, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to it all.  Officer Remis worked tirelessly to cover up a good portion of what happened.  She chalked it up to a gang war that her ex-husband was profiting off and ended up in the middle of a battle for power that ended with him losing his life.  It was a hard pill to swallow, especially knowing the truth, but we had to.  We had no choice.  What did catch the city’s attention though was the lack of a certain masked vigilante.  He disappeared and people were wondering which led to gossip.  There was speculation that Mysterion was involved with the Arachne gang’s dismantling and harmed in the process but that was quickly put to bed.  Then there was a rumour that he had moved on to a different city since he had pretty much eliminated crime in Denver.  There were a few other smaller rumours that flew around about him but no one would ever really know the truth.  Not the whole truth, at least.

“Hey,” Kyle spoke up.  I lifted my head to face his quizzical curiosity. “You alright?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I was just thinking,” I answered.

“You should watch out, you don’t want to end up overworking your brain,” he replied.  It was a joke.  It was a dry joke, but it was a joke.  There was a lot of that dry humour going around.  I hated it.  It wasn’t natural.

“We’re early,” Alex said as he pulled into a parking spot.

“It’s fine,” Kyle replied dryly and unbuckled his seatbelt.

I shut the door behind me and exhaled sharply.  I really hated hospitals but it felt like we were basically living there.  I hated how sterile the place was.  The nurses were nice but some of the patients were terrifying.  Everything inside was just so white and pure.  It was weird.

“Stan, come on,” Kyle called back over his shoulder to me as he and Alex moved across the parking lot to the hospital building.

“Yeah, I’m coming,” I muttered, shoved my hands into my pockets, and followed my friends.

Maybe it was the reason we were always there.  Maybe that was actually the problem, because I never hated the hospital before.  Even when I was there when my arm was broken, I didn’t hate it.

We knew our way perfectly through the hospital.  We took the stairs because we found they were quicker than the elevator and then walked down the hall until we came to the room Alex and Kyle turned into.  I had to stop.  I closed my eyes as I focused on breathing.  In and out.  Slow and steady.

“Ready to go?” Kyle asked as I finally stepped into the hospital room.

It was modestly different from just white.  There was a vase of flowers on the table next to the window, a large card that Kyle, Alex, and I had signed sat next to them, and cards were scattered all over from our game we had the night before.

“Almost.”

I turned towards the tired sounding voice.  Kenny sat on the edge of the bed.  His hands were folded on his lap as he stared down at his fidgeting fingers.  Silence loomed in the room.  I shouldn’t have been surprised that Kyle was the first to start talking.

“Kenny, about the cemetery—,” he started to say.  Alex’s shoulder tensed noticeably.

“Not now, Kyle,” Kenny answered sternly.  He didn’t look up but his fingers stopped fidgeting.

“It’s just that—,” Kyle tried again.

“What do you want me to say, Kyle?” Kenny retaliated as his voice rose. “He’s dead.  There’s nothing else.  And you really think that visiting his grave is going to make guilt go away?” he continued and rose to his feet. “You think I’m going to feel better just by seeing it?  That I’ll get some sort of clarity that’ll just magically make this all okay?” Kenny’s hands were shaking at his sides. “Grow the hell up, Kyle.  There’s nothing that can make this alright.  He’s dead and I could have saved him!”

Kyle’s lip quivered as he opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.  Kenny let out a loud, exacerbated groan as he pushed forward past all of us.  I tried to grab for his hand as I called out his name but he quickly slipped out of my grip.  I let out a small sigh as he disappeared from my sight.  I turned my head back around and Kyle scowled at me.

“You need to learn when to stop,” I said to him.

“He needs to come to reality,” Kyle replied sternly.

I shook my head. “No, what he needs to go at this at his own pace.  You can’t force him to heal, he has to do it on his own,” I corrected him.

Kyle stopped before he snapped back when Alex grabbed his hand. “Stan is right.  You have to let him figure it out himself,” he said in a low voice.  The change in Kyle was almost instantaneous as he slowly nodded in understanding to the taller boy.

I let out another short sigh and rubbed just above my eyebrow where a pain was starting to form. “I should go check on him.  Wait for us here,” I explained before I turned out of the room.  I didn’t need to track him down, I knew exactly where he went.  There was a balcony at the end of the hall that looked out over the hospital courtyard that I found him on frequently.  Sure enough, he was leaning against the railing watching the people below take laps around the dormant garden or sit on the benches as they conversed back and forth. “You are going to make his head explode one of these days,” I said as I stepped up next to him with my hands shoved into the pockets of my jacket.

“I never asked him to stick his nose in it,” Kenny replied dryly.

I scoffed loudly. “You do know who you’re talking about, right?  Of course, he was going to stick his nose in it,” I reminded him.

“He doesn’t understand,” he said with a small sigh as he gently shook his head.

“No, he doesn’t,” I agreed. “None of us can really understand what happened that night.  No one can understand what kind of agony you went through, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have the right to try to help.  You are our friend, after all.  It’s kind of in our job description.”

“You’re trying to make a joke,” Kenny mentioned. “And you’re doing a terrible job.”

“Yeah, I’ve been losing my touch lately.  There’s not really anyone to practice with lately,” I explained with a crooked smile.  Kenny exhaled sharply.  His head lowered as he rubbed his palms together in front of him.  I gently placed my hand on his shoulder and gave it a small, reassuring squeeze. “It’s not your fault, Kenny.” The balcony door creaked open. “He chose the direction he wanted to take, so you don’t have to feel bad about it.” Footsteps came to a stop behind us. “You’re still the hero.”

Kenny scoffed loudly. “I’m no one’s hero,” he muttered quietly.

“Oh, don’t be such a fuddy duddy, Kenny.  You’re my hero.”

Kenny and I both spun around simultaneously to face the source of the chipper sounding voice.  The yellow hair was surprisingly soft looking despite being trapped in the hospital for a whole week.  The wounds over his porcelain skin were healing but still distinctive in colours of purple and green.  His forearm was still wrapped in a thick bandage and another was taped to his forehead just above his right eyebrow.  Despite the wounds, despite the pain each and every one of them made, he was still smiling.  Wide and bright.  Just like he always had.

“Now, stop being so gloomy so you can take me home.”

Kenny stepped forward so he was standing close enough to run his fingers through the bright blonde hair. “Of course,” he said, his mouth turned up into a crooked grin.

As the clouds shifted overhead, the sunlight moved and as it passed over to brighten the sun yellow hair Kenny’s fingers ran through, I noticed the ocean blue eyes looking back at him with familiar calming happiness flashed with a hint of soft violet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you really think that was it?
> 
> Oh, how little you know me.
> 
>  
> 
> Stick around for the Epilogue of Soulmates, coming soon!!
> 
> (Be warned, the Epilogue will contain smut because I didn't add any throughout the story and you guys deserve some juicy Bunny smut!)


	15. ...yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's alive. I lost him for a moment. He was gone. In my arms, I could feel him disappear, but he came back.
> 
> He's alive...
> 
> He is alive....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, lovelies! The finale!
> 
> WARNING!! This chapter contains smut (sexual content) so if ya don't like it, don't read it.
> 
> All credit to South Park goes to the original creators!  
> (I am merely a fan with a big imagination.)
> 
> I want to thank EVERYONE who has been so supportive of Soulmates! You guys are all the best and make me so damn happy every single time I see a comment or kudos! You are all the absolute best!!
> 
> Enjoy, my lovelies!!

_“Say it again.”_

My hand moved the brush gently across the canvas in one long stroke.

_“I know it’s selfish, but please—”_

It was annoying how long it took to finally get the exact right mixture of colours together to get what I wanted for the last part.

_“—say you love me again.”_

I stopped my hand before the soft bristles touched the canvas.  I couldn’t keep it steady without shaking.  My shoulder was starting to get sore again.  It happened occasionally because of the healed wound there, especially when I was hunched over the easel for so long.  It had been two months since that night.  Two months of trying to get back to normal after our lives took a turn, save from the scars and easily sore joints throughout my body.

_“No!  This isn’t goodbye.  That’s not how we’re going to say goodbye.”_

The gang war was front page news for the newspaper for nearly a week while I was in the hospital recovering from my wounds.  It was strange to read a story that was completely wrong, completely made up, and have to try to convince yourself it’s true.

_“I can’t lose you like this.”_

Elizabeth made sure everything was taken care of while I was in the hospital.  No one asked questions about my wounds or Kenny’s.  No one came around to investigate or even tried to piece together the strange coincidence that two boys were rushed to the hospital at the same time a major incident occurred.  No one seemed to notice both of us being carted in wearing shredded pieces of our costumes.  No one pieced together that it was Officer Remis who rushed us in and she was also the one to call in the bomb threat across Denver.

_“Kenneth, I have an idea.  Though, you may not find it adequate.”_

Nine bombs were found in total across the city.  The gang member Kenny had used to find me gave away all of their locations without hesitation when the police found him tied up to an old antenna on a rooftop near the Arachne hangout.

_“Listen to him, Kenny.  Hear him out.”_

Nine bombs.  One casualty.  Phillip Marco.  It would have been two.  It should have been two.

_“What the hell are you talking about?” Kenny snapped.  He was projecting anger but I know it was just to mask the fear.  He was scared.  Heck, I was scared.  The moment that Death left me I felt the pain.  He had prepared me but I don’t think I could have ever been prepared for the level of pain that hit me._

_“Just listen, Kenny,” Life snapped._

_The arm wrapped around me, holding me tightly, was shaking.   I couldn’t keep my eyes open.  I could hear his heart beating against his chest my head was pressed to.  It was so loud.  So fast.  I tightened my grip on the soft material of his shirt.  He was so warm._

_“The reason Leopold survived for this long was because of my energy.  When I was dormant, his sickness was allowed to infect his body but when I finally woke I was able to contain it,” Death explained._

_Kenny suddenly stopped shaking.  He was strangely still and his heart rested in his chest. “There will be no curse.  There will be no afterlife in another vessel.  It will just be him and I.  I will keep the sickness at bay and nothing more.”_

“Are you alright, Leopold?” Death’s question echoed through my head. “You’re letting your mind wander.”

I smiled as I rolled my shoulder to work out the kink that had settled in the joint.  I finally let the brush touch the canvas to move my hand in a steady line. “I’m fine.  I was just thinking,” I answered.

“About?” Death pressed.

I pulled my hand away from the canvas to set the brush down. “You were free,” I said in a low voice with a small shake of my head.

“Leopold, we’ve been over this before,” the voice reminded me with a heavy sigh.

“I know, I know.  It’s just—you’ve never really given me a straight answer about it,” I explained and wiped my paint covered hand on the cloth draped over my knee. “You were free and yet you chose to help me.  You could have left with the others but instead you chose to bind yourself to me, again, and save me.”

“Leopold—,” Death began to say in a low voice that had a touch of sadness.

“Why did you choose to save me, Death?” I interrupted to ask.  When I was in the hospital, he was quiet.  It wasn’t until we were finally alone after I was released that he spoke.  He didn’t say much though except to ask me how I was feeling and to make sure I was sure when I tossed the pine green cape into a lock box.

Death sighed heavily. “You are a brave kid, Leopold.  Even when you were scared, you were brave enough to do what was right.  I have never met someone like that before.  Out of all the other vessels I have been with, you are the one who has impressed me the most,” he explained.  I couldn’t help the giddy grin that was formed on my face. “Furthermore, I did not want to have to live with Kenneth sulking around in this world until he eventually drank himself into a stupor.”

I chuckled at that.  He may have been joking but the reality of it was that it was painfully true. “Thank you, Death,” I said in a small voice and lifted my head to look at the canvas in front of me.

“Are you sure about this, Leopold?  It’s quite an…accurate painting.  Maybe a little dangerous considering the circumstances,” Death asked with genuine interest.

I nodded slowly. “I’m sure,” I answered.  I know what worried him.  The original painting of Kenny had evolved until the soft outline of a mask could be seen around his eyes if you looked hard enough and a heavy hood was hidden under the illusion of dark clouds.

“Well then.  You have captured him perfectly, Leopold.  You should be proud,” Death explained.

“Not Michelangelo, but maybe close enough,” I said to earn a small chuckle from Death.  It was a surprising sound.  I had never heard him make the smallest sound close to a laugh. “Did you just—?” I started to say but stopped when I heard a loud bang from the bedroom.  I quickly spun around on my stool to face the direction of the noise.

“Leopold?” Death spoke up curiously.

I slowly lifted myself to my feet and shuffled to the bedroom.  My hands shook at my sides until I curled them into fists.  I stopped at the end of my bed and hummed lightly in my throat.  There was a strange sensation but there was nothing strange or different within the walls of my apartment.  I was about to turn away when I heard another bang echoed through the small opening in my window next to the bed. “Ouch!  Fuck, can you just shut up for a second?” the quieted voice carried through opening. “Oh, haha, real funny, wise guy.  Remember, you chose to come back, asshole.”

I rolled my eyes with a soft sigh.  I made my way over to the window to grab the bottom of it to slide it completely open.  The cold night air wrapped around me as I stuck my head through. “What are you doing?” I asked.  The dark figure tensed and their head slammed against the metal of the fire escape with an awful bang.  I quickly covered my mouth to try to stifle my laugh.

“Oh, fuck, I’m glad you find that funny.” The long, dark cape fluttered as he turned.  The bright gold faded away to normal, cerulean blue. “It’s past midnight, what are you still doing up?”

“Well, who could possibly sleep with all the racket you’re making?” I asked in retaliation as I grinned wide.

The metal groaned as he took a step into the light from inside my apartment.  He still wore the tattered mask and his large hood was pulled far over his head, but I knew him so well, I had every feature and curve memorized from the small shadows. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” he said sheepishly as he reached under his hood to rub the back of his neck.

I loved when he did that.  It was his way of showing he was nervous, maybe even a little uncomfortable.  Under his calm façade, it was nice to see him stumble a bit at times.  He was vulnerable.  Vulnerable for me.

“You don’t have to keep checking up on me.  I’m not going anywhere,” I explained.

It was a useless line.  Since I had been let out of the hospital he had visited me every night.  I had packed away Professor Chaos but that didn’t stop his worrying.  It was like it was engraved in his heart to always be worried.  A gloved hand gently reached out to touch my cheek.  The soft brush against my skin made me sigh.  My eyes fluttered closed for a brief second.  My skin tingled in the wake of his touches across my cheek, over my ear, and down the side of my neck.  They were such soft touches, barely touching me, but they did the most damage to my heart.

“Alright, you should get some sleep then.  I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” he said with a soft smile.

My heart dropped in my chest as he leaned forward to press a soft kiss against my forehead.  It was that same, constant feeling in my chest I had every time he left me.  It was always there but it grew more intense after the rainy night where everything almost ended.  He let his fingers linger against my arm as he pulled away.  He was turning away from me, again.  I couldn’t help myself as I reached out to grab his arm to stop him.  I didn’t want him to go.  I wanted him to stay.

“Butters?” he asked with worry when he turned back to face me.  I could see his face twist up to show his concern and curiosity.  The hand that wasn’t being held by my tight grip lifted to touch gentle fingertips against my cheek. “Butters, what is it?”

The fingers danced along my skin before the soft fabric of his gloved palm pressed against my cheek.  I pressed back against the touch as I turned my head to let the hand cover my mouth so I could gently kiss the curve of his palm.  I wanted to ask him to stay but there was the possibility he didn’t want to.  There was so much tension between us, I had no idea what he was thinking.  I wanted to ask him but I was terrified of his response.  Rejection or compliance.  They were both terrifying to think about.

“Leo,” he suddenly said with a small sigh.

I don’t know when I closed my eyes, but they snapped open and I quickly jerked away from the hand that curled into a fist. “I—uh—I finished the painting,” I said nervously.  I had let my mind slip for a moment.  My body was moving on its own without me thinking. “Do you want to come in and see it?” the question slipped out surprisingly.  Still room for disappointment, but the rejection wouldn’t hurt so much if it came.

The lump in my throat formed as I waited in the silence for an answer.  I wasn’t sure why he was hesitating.  It was probably better that I didn’t ask but it was too late.  He probably wasn’t finished with his patrols.  He had so much to do.  I was a distraction and—

“Okay,” he answered.  It was quiet.  I almost didn’t catch it at first.  He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’ve waited long enough.  Show me.”

I nodded sharply before I stepped back into the apartment.  He groaned as he struggled to squeeze his way through the open window without tripping over his long cape.  I slid it shut behind him as he patted off the dust that clung to his knees.  When I turned he was moving across the apartment to the canvas in the corner.  I suddenly felt nervous when he was standing in front of the painting I had put more effort into in the last two months than I had since I started.  I looked over the broad features of his strong shoulders that were so familiar to me having had sketched them so many times.  His cape was pushed back over his left shoulder to show his toned muscles in his arm that had developed more in the last few months when he was pushing himself harder than before.

I felt the small shock of electricity pass through my fingers.  It was a strange sensation after not using it for so long.  Death and I agreed to stop the late-night vigilantism.  Without Wrath and the Arachne gang, the city was practically crimeless so we could relax but that didn’t stop the small twitches and zaps occasionally when I wasn’t paying attention.

“Are you okay, Butters?” he was turned around to ask.  His eyes were slightly wide with worry.

I know he felt it.  He had become so much more in tune with his energy since that night.  Whether it was his emotions becoming more stable without having to stress over Wrath or his own understanding of what he was capable of, it didn’t matter.

“I’m fine.  I was just…thinking,” I answered as I bumped my knuckles together in front of myself.

His head was tilted slightly.  He had a curious expression on his face. “Well, you’ve peeked my interest now,” he said teasingly.

I hummed lightly. “Well, I’m just remembering all those times we trained with masking and locating energy.”

His eyebrows were shifted together in confusion. “Oh?” he said with a curious tone.  He shifted to stand with his arms crossed over his chest.

“And how terrible you were at it,” I added with a grin.

He scoffed. “Terrible, huh?” he asked.  The corner of his lips was turned up slightly in a cocky grin.

“Well, you were terrible.  I’m wondering if you’ve improved at all,” I explained.

“Of course I’ve improved,” he boasted with a wide grin. “I’m a pro now.  Not that it’s very useful out there now, but focusing has helped be better at other things too.”

I hummed again. “I don’t know.  It doesn’t seem believable,” I answered to earn a scowl from him. “I think I’ll need a demonstration,” I added and walked over to the corner of the hallway to the main door where the light switches were.

“What are you doing?” he asked curiously.

The light in the kitchen went off first, then the one in the living area. “I want to see if you’ve improved,” I said and then moved back into the bedroom where the last remaining light was from the small lamp on the table next to the bed.

“Butters,” he said with a small chuckle as he slowly shook his head.

“The rule is simple, Kenny,” I said and flashed him a smile as my finger touched the switch on the lamp. “Find me.”

The lamp clicked off and the apartment went dark except for the tiny sliver of light from outside the window.  I knew the room well from having to stumble around in the dark at night to find the bathroom or the kitchen, but Kenny didn’t.  I moved away from where I was with soft footsteps.

“Death,” I thought to the entity in my mind.

“Yes, Leopold?” he asked in response.

“Do you mind—?” I started to ask but stopped myself before I could finish.

“I understand,” Death responded after he let the silence fill the end of my sentence. “Until tomorrow, Leopold.”

I could feel the energy in my chest.  It was dim.  It wasn’t weak, it was just calm.  I could hear Kenny’s boots move across the floor in the dark.  His energy was dim as well.  He was keeping it under control like a tiny flame flickering from a candle.  His energy always reminded me of fire.  When he was emotional it was a blazing inferno that could not be contained or controlled.  When he was calm it was a tiny flame, calm but could still burn.

I was across the bedroom to the space of wall next to my rack of clothes.  Kenny’s energy was crossing from the living area to the bedroom to pause.  I quieted my breathing so he couldn’t cheat.  If he wanted to find me, he had to play.  The quiet was long and ran to the point I started to feel nervous.  My eyes were adjusting to the darkness of the room.  The small amount of the moonlight from outside allowed me to see the dark silhouettes of the objects in my room.  I was trying to see through the darkness to find Kenny’s outline when something dark was suddenly in front of me blocking everything else around me.  I was startled.  I jolted back against the wall with a loud thud.  I hadn’t notice the fiery energy disappeared briefly until he was standing in front of me.  A hand was pressed to the wall next to my head as a finger jabbed against my chest.

“Found you,” he said in a low, growling voice that made a chill run up my spine.  I had to shut my mouth to stifle the awe filled sigh that escaped my chest.  He chuckled lightly and moved his hand to remove his finger from jabbing against my chest so he could gently touch my chin. “I told you, I’ve improved,” he said.  He was close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating off him.  Even through his gloves I could feel the trail of heat he left behind where he touched my skin.  My heart was racing in my chest. “Thank you for letting me see your work, Butters.  I should—”

I couldn’t stop myself.  Both of my hands disappeared under his hood to press to his cheeks to keep him still.  I had to stand on my toes to meet him.  The warm breath of a sigh passed against my lips before they touched Kenny’s.  It was soft and there was hesitation on his side.  It had been like that for the past two months.  He was timid, gentle, and hesitant with me.  It was almost as if he was holding back.

“Butters,” Kenny said with a small sigh as he pulled away.  His hands were grabbing onto my arms to hold me steady. “Hang on.”

“Will you stay here tonight?” I blurted out.  I had been trying hard to keep the question contained within me, but I couldn’t hold it back anymore.  Once it was out it lingered in the air like a thick cloud over our heads. “Stay here with me.”

“Wait, are you—do you have any idea what that sounds like you’re asking?” he asked with a nervous voice.

I smiled.  I wanted to make him nervous more often.  It was adorable.  I moved my hands from his cheeks to carefully push off the hood of his cape. “I know you were scared, Kenny.  You almost lost me,” I explained and felt Kenny tense.  I gently pushed aside some of his hair before pressing my hands back to his cheeks. “When I lost control I could still hear you.  I could hear you telling me it was alright.  Even when you were moments away from death, you were still worried about me and how I would take it all.  And you told me I had to come back so you could tell me everything.  Well, I came back and you still haven’t told me.”

Kenny groaned low in his throat.  My hands were moving to push my fingertips under his mask.  He closed his intense blue eyes as his hands were gliding along my arms towards my wrists.  He tilted his head slightly to the side with a small, shaky exhale. “Butters, I don’t—,” he started to speak in a low, breathless voice.

I finally pushed the mask off over his head to drop it to the floor beside him.  He swallowed noticeably in the dim lighting. “Tell me,” I pushed.

He scoffed loudly and shook his head. “You make me so fucking mad, Butters,” he suddenly snapped.  I wasn’t expecting it.  My hands twitched away but hands tightened around my wrists to stop me. “Because all I do is worry about you now.  I worry you’ll disappear from me the moment I turn my back to you.  I mean, you can’t blame me.  You’ve left me twice now without saying goodbye.  The first time you did, I wanted to make myself believe that I hated you and that I wanted nothing to do with you, but I wasn’t whole without you.  I was always missing a part of me that left such a wide hole right here,” he explained and moved my hand to press it to the middle of his chest. “I like you, Butters,” he said and then scoffed. “Okay, no, I love you.  I am absolutely in love with you and I have been since—shit, the beginning, I think.”

“W—Why—?” I started to ask but my words caught in my throat where the bundle of nerves rested.

“What are you trying to say, Butters?” Kenny asked as his grip tightened on my wrist.

“Why have you been so distant?” I finally managed to push out.

Kenny exhaled sharply.  He kept his grip on the wrist of my hand he had pressed to my chest as he let go of my other wrist to grab my chin. “I can’t control myself around you.  If I love you, I’m never going to stop.  If you’re going to leave me again, I won’t survive.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I replied in a low voice.

“Butters, I—,” Kenny started to say and I heard the shake in his voice.

“Listen to me, Kenny, I am not goin’ anywhere,” I repeated myself with a stronger tone than before. “I’m here, so please, stay.  Stay here with me.”

I was pinned harshly against the wall with hands on both of my shoulders.  The back of my head clunked against it as lips crushed against mine.  The impact was burning between us.  My hands moved up the solid plane of his chest to grab the clasp of his cape.  Mouths moved against each other as heads tilted to deepen the hungry kiss.  Fabric clattered to the floor when the cape’s clasp unbuckled in my fingers.  Kenny finally broke the kiss.  We were both panting as noses brushed against each other.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispered softly.  There was worry in that tone.  Worry that I may have told him to stop.  Worry that I would suddenly panic.

I shook my head. “No,” I snapped.

Kenny was walking backwards as I pushed against his chest.  We stopped when the back of his knees touched the end of my bed and he was removing his gloves to toss them aside as he kicked off his heavy boots.  We were both still panting lightly.  Bodies pressed against each other as hands moved over his chest and down my back.  The touches left a wake of fire that made my body shiver with anticipation.  I gently pushed against him until he sat down.  The bed creaked quietly under his weight and then again when I sat myself on his lap.  My arms wrapped around his neck as my hands found their way into his soft hair.  His fingers danced up the sides of my thighs to move around behind my back.  The touches made my body react with sharp shivers.  We kissed again.  It was a softer than before.  The hands on my back shifted slightly to allow his fingers to move underneath my shirt to brush against my skin.  My back arched at the feeling of the heat directly against the skin over my spine.

Kenny’s lips turned up into a smile against mine as he chuckled softly. “You’re so sensitive,” he said in a teasing tone against my lips.  I could feel the heat forming in my cheeks.  I pulled away slightly to hum gently in the back of my throat. “Relax, Butters,” he said as he leaned forward to gently kiss my cheek. “I’m just teasing you.”

“Kenny,” I practically whined before warm lip pressed to my neck.  My head tilted back to allow him more access.  The gasp that escaped my throat as teeth lightly pinched my skin was louder than I had expected.  My hands tightened in Kenny’s hair to elicit a small growl from him against my skin.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispered against my throat with a shaky breath.

“Don’t—,” I tried to say.  My breath caught in my throat when teeth lightly grazed the tender spot in the hollow of my throat. “Don’t stop,” I moaned.

The hands pressed against my back moved up, taking the bottom of my shirt with them.  The fabric slid off over my head to be tossed to the side.  The warm palms touched my back to press me forward against him.  Chests touched as laps met.  I barely contained the shaky breath that passed through my lips at the contact of our hard, fabric covered lengths meeting before we kissed again.  I moved my hands over his cheeks, down the sides of his neck to travel over his arms.  Kenny tensed under my touch but didn’t break away from our soft, slow kisses.  My hands rested on his sides when I felt the soft brush of his tongue against my lips.  The touch startled me but I gladly opened my mouth to grant him the access he was silently asking for.

I tensed at the touch as his tongue swept across the sensitive spots inside my mouth.  I didn’t think it was possible to have sensitive spots in your mouth, but he found every single one of them with an expert tongue.  I broke away from the kiss first to gasp for air.  My hands were touching the rough leather of his belt wrapped around his waist to hold his costume together.  His old costume had been ripped apart during our final fight against Wrath so he moved on to some dark cargo pants but kept the purple shirt that had the large M on the chest.

“Butters?” Kenny asked in a low voice.

It was deep and reminded me of when he was Mysterion.  Back before the truth came out and he was two different people, I felt guilty for liking them both.  It was stupid of me to ever think they were two different people.

I gripped the fabric of his shirt in my hands and pulled up as he lifted his arms over his head.  I stopped as the light touched his skin to reveal the marks all over.  Scars made from every encounter he had against a knife or glass or bullet.  It was like looking at a flawed canvas stitched up but still beautiful enough to want to paint on.  I tossed the shirt somewhere over my shoulder before my hands were back on Kenny’s cheeks as I pushed forward until he was pressed back against the mattress.  My lips burned against his as they touched once again.  Hands moved from my back to rest on my thighs.  My heart was racing in my chest as my hands shook.

Calloused fingers suddenly touched the back of my hands. “Butters,” Kenny said against my lips. “You’re shaking.  What’s wrong?”

“Ngh.” Kenny’s thumbs gently brushed against the skin of my hand. “I—I thought about—I’ve never—um—,” I stammered over my own nerves.

“Do you want to stop?” Kenny asked carefully.

“No!” I shouted and my hands quickly shifted to grab his.  His eyes were wide, shocked just as much as I was about the sudden lift in my voice. “I—I want you to—I just don’t know…how to—uh—,” I tried to explain but stopped myself to hum gently as I pinched my bottom lip between my teeth.

Kenny was grinning and quickly sat up.  I yelped as I was suddenly moved quickly so my back was pressed against the bed and Kenny leaned over me.  My heart threw itself at the cage of my ribs. “Do you trust me?” he asked while still smiling.  I melted at that smile.  His fingertips brushed against my cheek.  I nodded slowly. “Good, then just enjoy it.”

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks.  He kissed me on the lips first, then on my chin, the front of my neck, and then he was leaving a trail down my torso.  I was finding it difficult to breathe.  My fingers dug into my sheets.  The final kiss against my skin ended just above the waistband of my pants.  I had to close my eyes.  The room was spinning.

“You alright, Buttercup?” Kenny asked with a teasing tone when my hands lifted to press to my head.

Nodding rapidly, I tried to swallow down the bundle of nerves in my throat. “Y—Yeah,” I answered nervously.

“It’s okay.  Just relax.”

That was easier said than done.  I couldn’t catch my shaky breaths as fingers hooked around the band of my pants to start to pull them down along with my boxers.  My cheeks flushed harder the more and more I was exposed.  I heard the fabric drop to the floor.  I could have passed out from the ringing in my ears, but then I felt fingers gently touch my right hipbone before they travelled down my thigh.  I shivered at the touch.

Kenny suddenly chuckled and I tensed at the sound. “Are you gonna let me see your face?” he asked and I felt him gently tug on one of my hands that were still covering my face.  I shook my head frantically in disagreement. “Alright, suit yourself.”

I wasn’t prepared for what was next.  My breath hitched heavily in my throat and I was instantly arching up as the warm tongue quickly swept over the bottom of my length where all the blood from my head dropped to.  From the moment he pinned me against the wall I felt the tingling sensation in the lower part of my body that grew with every touch our bodies made.

Kenny was moving.  I moved my hands to grasp tightly above my head.  My nails dug painfully into the sheet but it was the only thing keeping me from rotating my hips forward to meet the friction.  He was slow and careful with his movements.  His arms were hooked around my legs to lift my knees as every down motion completely engulfed me and every up motion ended with him just at the tip to give a small lick there that made my body quiver.  The movements sped up and I could barely hold it together.  My imagination didn’t come anywhere close to the actual feeling.  Of course I had thought about it, lots of times.  I dreamed about our bodies twisted together, sweat covered skin pressed together as we moved in sync, but it was entirely different from the real thing.  My hands had to let go of bed sheet to grip at soft, shaggy hair.  I loved running my fingers through the mess of dirty blonde strands.

“Ngh, Kenny,” I said, breathless and shaky.

Kenny let go of me.  I hated the lack of contact but I was finding courage that was hidden deep inside me.  I opened my eyes to meet his in the dim lighting.  He was standing between my knees at the end of the bed as he pushed his hair out of his face.  He was so gorgeous.  I quickly pushed myself to sit up and my fingers fumbled with the thick belt holding up his pants.  I heard the shaky sigh pass through his lips as I unbuckled the clasps to let the pants pool at his ankles with a sharp clatter.  I bit my lip as I examined the large bulge in his boxer-briefs in front of me.  A hand ran through my hair and then over my cheek to grab my chin so I could look up.

“Butters,” Kenny said and there was a sad pitch to his tone. “I want to keep going.  Fuck, you have no idea how bad I want to keep going, but this is your first time.  I don’t want to hurt you.”

I hummed quietly before I started to shuffle across the bed.  Kenny didn’t move from where he was standing as I opened the drawer in the small table next to my bed.  I ripped open the box to dig around inside it before I wrapped my fingers around the plastic bottle.  I set the two items down on the mattress and rubbed my knuckles together in my lap.  I couldn’t force myself to push through my embarrassment to look up.  My cheeks were on fire.  I could feel Kenny’s gaze on me.

“Is this…good enough?” I finally asked when the silence was too much.

There was some shuffling from where Kenny stood before the bed groaned from the weight that pressed down on top of it.  I quickly lifted my head as Kenny moved aside the two items I dug out of my end table and he was suddenly pressed up against me, his boxer-briefs disappeared to leave both of us completely naked.  His tongue darted into my open mouth.  I moaned at the contact.  My heart was on the verge of slamming its way through my ribcage to escape.  I was pushed onto my back with my head rested on my pillows.  Kenny’s hands were busy as he distracted me with his expert tongue sweeping over the top of my mouth before tangling around mine.  When he disconnected from the kiss he kept his forehead pressed to mine as he gently brushed his hand against my cheek.

“Relax,” he whispered.  I felt the pressure of a slick finger pressing against me before I had time to think about why he was telling me that.  I couldn’t stop the sharp gasp as it pushed inside me.  The feeling was strange.  It was mostly discomfort, a bit of pain, and a faded sensation of pleasure. “Butters, you have to relax,” Kenny reminded me and gently kissed my forehead.  There was something about that tiny bit of affection that made my chest unclench.

I must have relaxed enough because he inserted a second finger and when I was done moaning at the discomfort, he began to move.  He knew what he was doing.  He had a pattern to his movements.  He would go as far as my body would let me and just before I would begin to writhe and wince from the pain, he would pull back.  As he was moving his fingers, I could feel the discomfort slowly subside to make room for the pleasure.  It was still a strange sensation but I was enjoying it.  It was only a matter of time and—

“Ah!” I gasped as my back arched off the bed.  Kenny’s fingertips brushed against something that sent a chill up my spine.  I moaned and the fingers were slowly removed from inside me.  I was panting unevenly as Kenny sat up.  There was a loud tear that echoed through the darkness.  I was no longer nervous.  I was excited.  I was full of anticipation.  I knew what was coming next and I wanted it.  I wanted him.  All of him.

“Butters, we can—,” Kenny started to say.

I didn’t wait to let the words shoot from my mouth. “Don’t you dare tell me to stop this,” I snapped.  The look on Kenny’s face was full of shock.  My hand reached up to gently push the soft, blonde strands out of his face before I pressed my palm to his cheek.  He was burning hot. “I’m yours, Kenny.” His jaw clenched tightly.  He positioned himself with my lower back lifted slightly off the mattress as he leaned over me.  He kissed me again.  It was tender.  I noticed the shake in his body. “Kenny,” I whispered in a quiet voice.  Both of my hands were on his cheeks. “You’re not going to hurt me.  You don’t have to worry.”

He shook his head quickly. “No,” he answered sternly. “I’m not worried.  It’s just—I can’t believe it’s you, Butters.  I can’t believe we’re finally here,” he explained with his wide, crooked grin. “I love you, Butters.”

The relief that washed over me took every bit of my worry and anxiety with it.  I lifted my head from the pillows to press our lips hard together as I continued to hold on to his cheeks. “It only took you two months to say it,” I said against his lips.

He was chuckling softly as he let his finger trace through my hair. “I’m sorry.  I should have said it then, and every day since, but I was scared.  But I promise I’m going to say it every day for the rest of our lives.  Butters, I—.”

“I love you, Kenny,” I interrupted.  I needed to say it before he managed to get it out again.  Everything stopped.  I think Kenny stopped breathing. “I really do, and all I want right now is for you to mark me as yours, forever.”

There was no hesitation.  Kenny grabbed one of my wrists so he could turn his face into my palm.  His soft lips kissed gently against the skin.  It didn’t take me long to realize it was a distraction against him pressed against me before he pushed his way inside.  I gasped loudly to the ceiling.  The feeling was strange, uncomfortable, and yet pleasurable all at the same time.  The hand Kenny didn’t have moved from his cheek to his shoulder where his skin was healed over and scarred under his collarbone.  My nails dug in there as I tried to ride through the sensation that filled my body.  Kenny flinched from the pain I caused in his shoulder but he didn’t take his mind off his task.  He was moving to make a trail of kisses up my arm to my shoulder and to my neck.

“Relax, Leo,” he breathed against my skin.  There was a strain to his voice.  He rolled his hips forward a little more.  I halted my gasp in my throat.  The feeling was surreal.  My head was spinning.  I was trying to push through the pressure.  Kenny’s head lowered slightly.  Both of his hands were placed on the mattress as he struggled to steady his breathing.  His arms shook.  I could tell he was trying hard to hold back.  My hands were on his stubble covered cheeks to have him look back up at me.

“You can move,” I whispered through my shaking voice.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he replied nervously.

I grinned and moved my thumb across his cheek to brush over his bottom lip.  His eyebrows were furrowed together slightly. “Then make it feel good,” I said.

Kenny’s lips turned up slightly into a small grin.  He moved again and my head pressed back against the mattress as I let the small moan escape my throat.  Kenny’s lips were pressed against my neck again.  The pressure was heavy as he was pressed entirely inside me but I wanted more.  I wanted more friction.  I wanted more.  More of him.

“Move,” I demanded breathlessly as I clung on to his shoulders.

“Anything you want,” he replied against my lips with his forehead pressed to mine.  My arms encircled around his neck once again and he started to move.

He was slow at first.  Each movement was careful as he pushed through my discomfort to dive straight in to the pleasure. “Ngh, faster Kenny,” I whined.

And he did.  I couldn’t hold back the small noises that came from my throat into the crook of Kenny’s neck as I held on tightly to him.  His fingers were dancing through my hair, brushing across my scalp to leave tiny trails of fire.  My mind was spinning.  Heat radiated between pressed chests.  Hips pulled back just to snap forward against mine.  I moaned and gasped with each movement.  Kenny was focused but paused when a loud shout suddenly shot from my chest.  My hand quickly lifted to cover my mouth.  He had pressed against that same bundle of nerves deep inside me again that sent a shock through my body.  It was a sensation I enjoyed.

“It’s okay, Butters,” Kenny said with a wide grin.  He rolled his hips again and pressed against the bundle.  The hand I had over my mouth was forced away as I let out a loud gasp.  Fingers threaded together as he pinned my hand to the mattress next to my head.

I was getting pushed to the edge which was pushed even faster when Kenny reached between us to wrap his hand around my length.  My eyes snapped shut as I arched up into the touch.  His hand quickly caught on to the rhythm of his hips.  Both of our grips tightened on each other’s hand.  The quick beating of our hearts was mixing together against our pressed chests.  Kenny’s rhythm was gaining speed.  The sounds we were making mixed together to echo off the walls in the darkness.

“Agh, Kenny, I’m—ngh!” I shouted through my low groans.

“So am I,” he replied quietly.

Lips met again in a crushing kiss as desperate moans mixed together.  One final push and I was over the edge.  My body twitched as I felt the wave of electricity course through me.  I had never experienced such elation as I did in that moment as I spilled out over my stomach and Kenny’s hand.  Kenny let out a sharp exhale as his hips pressed harshly against me.  His body tensed and my hand was in his hair to tug gently at the soft strands to earn a long, low moan from him.  Sweat covered foreheads pressed together as we panted through our highs.  Warm breath moved over my face to leave my skin tingling.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a fucking long time,” Kenny whispered.  His familiar goofy smile made my heart flutter in my chest.  I couldn’t believe it.  It was him.  It was really him.

“When do you want to do it again?” I asked in response.

Kenny’s expression quickly shifted to shock as he blinked a few times.  He chuckled softly and I moved my hand from being buried in his hair to rest on his cheek. “Fuck, Butters.  You’re going to be the death of me.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” I replied teasingly and lifted my head slightly to kiss him softly. “Next time, I’ll be the one taking the lead.”

I had tried so hard to convince myself it was nothing more than a high school crush.  He was a boy with a rough background but a strong heart.  He was quiet and a little vulgar when he finally spoke, but he was also caring and strong.  Not just to his little sister, but to everyone around him he cared about.  He was destined for greatness and I was only going to hold him back.  Telling him I was sick would only give him something to worry about, so I pushed my feelings down and left.  It was better for him to be mad at me.  Then he shouted my name in the hallway of the college and I felt everything come crashing back.  I wasn’t burden free though.  I needed to keep my distance.

 _He is your friend.  Nothing more than a high school crush._   It was like a mantra in my head.  I admit, Mysterion was a welcomed distraction.  I never saw the attraction coming.  Death warned me about it, but he didn’t warn me about the possibility of it being him.  As time went on, the mantra in my head slowly faded.  Each kiss and soft-spoken word wore it away, but it was always still there, until it was completely wiped out in the moment I was in the darkness and I heard his voice.

_“Shit, Leopold, I love you.  I’ve been in love with you since the beginning and every day since then.”_

I came back, but I knew I wasn’t going to stay long.  I was right back where it all began.  The sickness was going to take me away and my worst fear was going to come true: that I was going to make him see it.

“What are you thinking about?” Kenny asked, snapping me from my thoughts.

We were buried under the blankets on my bed, tangled in limbs.  We had cleaned up and found our way to the warmth in each other’s arms, chests pressed against each other.  I hummed gently as strong, callous covered fingers ran through my messy hair. “Mysterion,” I answered with a small smile.

“Oh?” he asked with interest.

“Don’t get jealous,” I said as I traced my fingertips along the muscles of his arm. “I kind of have a crush on him.”

“Oh,” Kenny responded with as he slowly nodded his head. “I mean, I can’t blame you.  He’s pretty cool.  Handsome.  Strong.”

“All those things and so much more,” I replied with a small chuckle. “I’m worried this isn’t real.  That I’m going to wake up tomorrow and it’s all been a dream.”

Arms wrapped around me to squeeze me tight. “Stop that,” Kenny hissed.  He was holding me too tight.  I was going to comment on it but I felt the shake in his hands pressed against my back.  Maybe he had the exact same fear that I did, that it was all just a dream. “You and me, Butters.  It’s you and me.  It always has been.”

“Always will be?” I added softly.

“You’re damn right.  I am…yours.  Now and forever.”

**Author's Note:**

> Visit themightypookums.tumblr.com for original artwork by yours truly!


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